Bird Snare or Perch (mutu kaka)

Delicate sculptural form and details contrast with this object’s functional purpose as a bird trap. Maori hunters install traps such as this near certain trees during the season when flocks of birds descend to feed on mature tree seeds in the forest. Created from a shrub branch and a section of the trunk to which it was attached, the branch portion serves as the horizontal perch while the trunk segment is decoratively carved. Hunters connected a cord to the trap that could be activated from a distance. By pulling the cord when a bird landed on the perch, the hunter could capture the prey by its feet without damaging or blood-staining the feathers. The feathers of certain species were precious, highly valued items.