Patu were made from hardwood, whale bone, or stone. The most prestigious material for the patu was pounamu (greenstone). Māori decorated the patu by carving into the wood, bone or stone. Types of patu include: patu pounamu or mere: made …

One of the main weapons that pre-European Māori used were patu onewa, which were made from basalt, which was a local resource. This was a hand weapon that was used to attack the upper body of an enemy by using a thrusting motion.

This type of short-handled club (patu) features a flat elongated blade with sharp striking edge. The term patu means to strike, hit or subdue in Maori – in this case the blow administered was a sharp, horizontal thrust straight from the shoulder aimed at the enemy’s temple.

Patu have an average length of about thirteen inches. They are a double-edged weapon and made of hard volcanic stone Patu Onewa, greenstone Patu pounamu or the jaw bone of a sperm whale Patu Paraoa. At later times they were even made from iron Patu pora. They were never traditionally made from wood.

A patu onewa was any patu made from stone. Patu fashioned from pounamu (greenstone or jade) were highly prized weapons, and were known as mere pounamu. This was also a symbol of authority. The patu paraoa was fashioned from whale bone. The kotiate is a patu named for its shape, which resembled a split human liver (‘koti’ is cut and ‘ate’ is liver).

One of the principal weapons of M¯aori warriors was the patu, a teardrop-shaped hand club used to strike a thrusting or slicing blow to an enemy. When not in use, patu were often worn suspended from the wrist by a fiber loop or thrust into a belt as symbols of martial prowess.

Caption Maori. Hand Club (Patu Onewa), 18th century. Green basalt, 17 x 4 x 1 1/2 in. (43.2 x 10.2 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Frank Sherman Benson Fund and the Henry L. Batterman …

This article illustrates and describes several examples of Maori culture "short club" fighting weapons known as patu onewa (dark stone) and patu pounamu (greenstone).

The Patu Onewa, a traditional Māori hand club crafted from greywacke basalt, is a remarkable artifact that epitomises the martial and ceremonial traditions of the Māori people.

All varieties of patu are designed to deliver a one-handed jabbing stroke aimed at the lower edge of the ribs, the lower jaw, or the temple, the blow being struck with the distal end of the club.