A rare taxidermy Maori Kuri dog head, The head mounted from the neck section with open mouth baring teeth. Slight wear exhibited to the ears, otherwise in preserved in superb condition. length 30 cm, height16 cm The Maori dog or Kuru has been extinct since the early 1850’s not only in New Zealand but throughout Polynesia. The Kuru arrived in New Zealand with the first Polynesian settlers and it was probably used in the hunting of the Moa as remains have been found in Moa hunter village middens. The dogs were highly prized by the Maori as evidenced by the cave paintings of the animal found in South Island caves. They were domesticated and bred as pets, for hunting, their skins and for ceremonial feasts. With the increase of European settlement after 1840 the Kuri dog declined in number, eventually becoming extinct due to inbreeding with imported animals. The taxidermist of this superb example is unknown as the animal had become extinct long before well known taxidermists, such as Andres Reischek, who arrived in 1877, began working in New Zealand. Provenance: Previously in the collection of the artist Alan Taylor. The head offered together with an unpublished essay on the Kuri by Alan Taylor entitled Mystery surrounds: A remarkable discovery which details the history of the Kuri and his discovery of this head in a taxidermist’s collection.