Tamil bell

The Tamil Bell is part of a bronze bell inscribed with Tamil script, acquired in approximately 1836 by missionary William Colenso. It was reportedly being used as a pot to boil potatoes by Māori women near Whangārei in the Northland Region of New Zealand. Its presence in New Zealand, at a time when there was no trade between Māori and any part of Asia, means it can be considered an out-of-place artifact. There remains no explanation of how it reached New Zealand.