Weaving peg, turuturu, of wood, from New Zealand; from the Banks collection (1887.1.715)

Weaving peg, turuturu, of wood. The top part of the peg is approximately 148 mm long. It is rounded and concave, flaring outwards at the end to form a circular top about 42 mm in diameter, a cross section of which would be elliptical. Large sections of the top are missing, one of the breaks being more recent than the other as evidenced by its roughness compared to the polished surface of the other breaks. The top is worn, presumably by having been struck. There is some damage to the underside of the top below one of the breaks. This appears to be puncture marks caused by a pointed object. The other end of the handle also flares outwards and becomes elliptical in cross section with slight ridges at either end. A deep diagonal wedge is cut into the peg on either side, the upper edge of which is carved in low relief with a decorative band of inward-facing crescents. This band is 8 mm wide in the middle and tapers to a point at either end. The main body of the peg extends below this point and begins with a small section carved in low relief with two similar decorative bands of inwards-facing crescents as well as other additional and prominent features, most notably a face at either end. The rest of the peg is undecorated. It is approximately 330 mm in length and is oval in cross section and tapers to a point

• Museum database entry.