Unusual Hobbies

About six years ago the Nelson Institute Museum had a most interested and frequent visitor. He was a young Maori boy and it was not surprising to find him deeply engrossed in the Maori artifacts and carvings on display there. The young man, Frank Wells, of 70 Locking Street, was not just an interested viewer, however. He was teaching himself the very intricate art of Maori carving and was badly in need of some patterns. The carvings on display helped immeasurably. Today, Frank is an accomplished carver and, through books and other media, he has a vast collection of patterns. A self-taught carver, Frank has applied his skill to all kinds of models and Maori weapons, and although friends have a great number of his pieces, he still retains a private collection at home. He uses mainly totara wood for his work. His hobby occupies most of his leisure hours for it is painstaking work. A mask, similar to that displayed at top left, takes about 12 hours to complete.

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A Maori spear in the making is displayed by Frank

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When we called he was. busy carving a new patu (club)

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Frank holds two different patus, a whalebone one (wahaika) which he carved himself, in his right hand, and a wooden one (on the mantlepiece are other examples of his craft).