Producer unknown to us
Poi balls (poi-poi)
Oceania, Aotearoa New Zealand
Prior to 1901
Wood, flax/muka, leaf; braided, wrapped
Collector and acquisition context unknown to us
Purchased by the museum from William Downing Webster (ethnographic dealer) in 1902
Po 32
Poi balls are an integral part of Māori dances in present-day Aotearoa (New Zealand). While they were initially intended as a training device to increase the flexibility of the warriors’ wrists, they soon found their way into the traditional dance culture. They are mainly used by women and come in many different sizes and lengths. The swinging and spinning movements of the poi mark or accompany the lyrics of the songs and the rhythm of the dance movements. In order to create a clapping sound, the poi are also struck against the palms of the hands or the body. Poi dances are characterized by a special harmony between beat, movement, and song. The ethnographic dealer William Downing Webster sold the dance balls to the museum in 1902. The exact circumstances of its acquisition are not clear to this day.
Birgit Scheps-Bretschneider