Taiaha: Kurī Canis familiaris hairs
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This factsheet assists in the identification of hairs from a taiaha (long fighting staff). Artefacts, or taonga, may incorporate animal hairs, or animal skins.
Most diagnostic features for this species
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Medulla of guard hairs can vary from simple with scattered globular vacuoles to very fine wide lattice.
Taiaha: Upoko (head) and arero (tongue) D57.192, Otago Museum Collection. Image: Kane Fleury © 2017 Otago Museum, Dunedin
- Cross-section usually a mix of circular and oval shapes.
- Large diameter
Microscopic features
![Taiaha. Medulla: simple or narrow lattice, off-centre. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_medulla_1__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Medulla: simple. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_medulla_2__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Scales: irregular wave, smooth to crenate margins, near to distant separation. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_scales_1__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Scales: irregular wave to broad petal, smooth to crenate margins, near to distant separation. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_scales_2__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Scales: irregular wave to broad petal, smooth to crenate margins, near to distant separation. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_scales_3__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Hair with variety of attached debri. Possibly cotton, wool, other animal hair. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_debris__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Detail of feather debri attached to hair. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_debris_2__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)
![Taiaha. Root with debri attached. Image: Bronwyn Lowe Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/Hair-identification/Taiaha_debris_root__FitMaxWzE1LDE1XQ.jpg)