Historical information

There has been a fair amount of confusion about this object as the paperwork states that a 'greenstone' gavel with a maori head carving and plaque mounted on green nephrite stone' was gifted when in fact the gavel is made of wood with a silver plaque. There has been no suggestion made as to what happened to the greenstone gavel. We can assume that it was lost or stolen and replaced with a plain wooden one that we now hold at ANZCA. From the attached plaque the Gavel was gifted to the Faculty of Anaesthetists by the New Zealand Fellows of the Faculty in 1965.

Physical description

Plain highly polished wooden pestle sits on a central walnut block on a flat wooden board, a silver plaque is attached on a piece of nephrite stone to one side of the board.

Inscriptions & markings

[silver plaque] PRESENTED BY THE / NEW ZEALAND FELLOWS / 1965
[in black ink on back of stand] 1992/9