A Museum Display

Pounamu Tiki

(greenstone)

Behind Glass

Otago Museum, Dunedin

May 2010, Ajr

Ngati Poneke - The Face of Wellington

Ngati Poneke

The Face of Wellington

Museum of Wellington

City to Sea

www.museumswellington.org.nz

Saved from the Wreckage

I visited Wellington's Museum of Wellington a couple of days ago and found it to be a very well designed and beautifully presented little museum - not that it was my first visit; this more a reiteration of my enjoyment of the small, intimate displays, the painting/mural entitled "Wahine" by James Turkington (1966), that was recovered from the wreckage of the vessel Wahine, that sank off the Wellington coast in 1968. It's part of the museum's very moving Wahine Gallery, which is a memorial to the Cook Strait tragedy. Although this mural had only been submerged for a few months before it was recovered, it was already encrusted with barnacles and small mussels. After cleaning and restoration though, only a few near-invisible scars remain on the formica surface. www.museumofwellington.co.nz

A Museum Piece

The Maori adze, or toki, was a woodworking tool, usually made of a hard stone fastened to a wooden handle. The most prized were made of pounamu (greenstone). This early example is one I photographed at Auckland Museum. It was found near Hamilton and is made from greywacke stone. Regional construction styles were common. www.aucklandmuseum.com

A Museum Piece

One Beautiful Kete

Used to Carry Kumara to the Store Pits

With the Aid of Strong Kawe

(Shoulder Straps)

As seen at Auckland Museum

www.aucklandmuseum.com

April 2009. Ajr

A Museum Visit

Auckland Museum has one of the best collections of Maori artefacts in the world - and this is one of them, the pataka (storehouse) Te Oha, which was sold to F.D.Fenton in 1885 by Te Mata Tahuri-o-Rangi. It was purchased by Auckland Museum in 1906. Pataka were generally used to store food, although they sometimes housed valuable weapons, cloaks and baskets. www.aucklandmuseum.com

Te Papa - The Galleries

The Maori Gallery

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Wellington.

Image supplied by Te Papa.

www.tepapa.govt.nz

From the Collection

A kiekie kete (basket) used for collecting karaka berries

Now in the Auckland Museum kete collection

www.aucklandmuseum.com

A Museum Moment

Auckland Museum. April 2009. Ajr

I loved these two amo (carved upright posts) on display at Auckland Museum. According to the label, they are from “the famous pataka (storehouse), Hinana, which first stood at Pukawa, near Tokaanu, at the south end of Lake Taupo. The amo stood at the front corners of the pataka to support the maihi (bargeboards). Hinana was built in 1856 by Te Heu Heu Iwikau of Ngati Tuwharetoa." www.aucklandmuseum.com www.tuwharetoa.iwi.nz

Sweet Music

Auckland Museum. April 2009. Ajr

Putarino is the generic name for Maori flutes played with the mouth. Koauau is the generic name for Maori flutes played with the nose. I photographed these gorgeous examples of carved putarino at Auckland Museum. The group includes nguru or whistle flutes, which were usually made of wood, stone or whale bone. They were short, carved and may have been played by blowing across the open end. The flute was one of the most popular Maori instruments and as I stood looking at these in Auckland Museum, I was slightly mesmerised by a video of a man playing traditional flute. It really is the sweetest of music – beautiful and haunting. A number of museums carry fine examples of these ancient instruments but you rarely find contemporary Maori who are able to play them. www.aucklandmuseum.com

Shadow Play

Auckland, April 2009. Ajr

I've long had a passion for shadows and photographing them; and I love kete. So when the two came together at Auckland Museum last week, I was more excited than was probably decent. The gallery has a spectacular collection of kete and I loved them all; but I came away just as excited about this funny little photograph. I guess I'm easily pleased. www.aucklandmuseum.com

Another Graphic Moment....

Auckland Museum. April 2009. Ajr

...this time from Auckland Museum

www.aucklandmuseum.com

Southern Marae

Dunedin 2008. Ajr

This is the very pretty Otakau Marae on Otago Peninsular, near Dunedin.

I was enthralled by the Otakau Runanga's amazing little museum - a tiny little space filled to overflowing with runanga history. Tucked away behind the main marae buildings, it houses all manner of goodies in one of those quaint 'home-style' museums that often have (to me) more charm than their much bigger, slicker city 'cousins.' http://www.otakaurunanga.org.nz/

Maori History Storehouse

Rotorua Museum. 2007. Ajr

Quite apart from being a stunningly beautiful building, Rotorua Museum of Art & History is a storehouse of Maori history. The new Don Stafford Wing opened in 2008 houses exhibitions that focus on the Te Arawa people, much of the mountainous and volcanic geography that was sacred to them, along with an exhibition that details the history and war time achievements of the 28th Maori Battalion. The Te Arawa people can lay claim to starting tourism in New Zealand. Back in 1860 the Tuhourangi people were already organising day trips to the famous Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana – Te Otukapuarangi and Te Terata and Guide Rangi is remembered as an early Rotorua tourism icon. If you can’t get to Rotorua any time soon – which is a shame; it’s one of my favourite places, complete with all it’s smelly sulphurous air – you can check out much of that fascinating history by clicking on to their website – www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz or www.tearawa.iwi.nz

TOI ORA: Ancestral Maori Treasures

All images supplied by The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Imagine this – a stunning 196 page book crammed full of beautiful photographs of taonga tuku iho (ancient Maori treasures) – everything from grand structures to ceremonial artefacts including traditional weapons, jewellery and woven clothing. This is TOI ORA: Ancestral Maori Treasures, an exquisite new book from Te Papa Press, based on the remarkable collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and edited by Arapata Hakiwai (Ngati Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata, Ngati Porou, Kai Tahu), Director Matauranga Maori at Te Papa; and Senior Curator Maori, Dr Huhana Smith (Ngati Tukorehe, Ngati Ruakawa ki te Tonga). The book also features the scholarship of Dr Janet Davidson and Te Papa curators, Matiu Baker and Awhina Tamarapa.

Now available in bookstores throughout New Zealand (RRP $49.99), this sumptuous publication features over 120 full colour plates of taonga tuku iho, some of which have not been published before. Toi Ora: Ancestral Maori Treasures shows these taonga as living treasures, passed on through generations and containing the stories and mauri (life force) of those who made, used and continue to value them. The above images (supplied by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) are - Top: Toki (adze blade). Te Tipunga 1300-1500. Iwi unknown. Pounamu (nephrite)/ 562 x 123 x 52mm. Purchased 1948, as part of the Oldman Collection. Bottom: Kumete (food bowl). Te Huringa 1 1800-1900. Ngati Pikiao from Lake Rotoiti, Rotorua region. Carved by Patoromu Tamatea. Wood/ 450 x 330 x 350mm. Gift of Mrs Chorlton, 1961.

And here is a tantalising glimpse of some of the precious treasures you can expect to see in the book.
Top Left: Nguru (flute). Te Puawaitanga. 1500-1800 or early Te Huringa 1 1800-1900. Iwi unknown. Wood, paua shell, fibre/ 143 x 55 x 50mm. Purchased 1948, as part of the Oldman Collection.
Top Right: Korere (feeding funnel). Te Puawaitanga 1500-1800. Iwi unknown; from Northland region. Wood/160 x 117 x 146mm. Purchased 1948, as part of the Oldman Collection.
Bottom Left: Wahaika paraoa (short-handled whalebone weapon) Te Puawaitanga 1500-1800. Iwi unknown. Whalebone/ 356 x 109 x 20mm. Acquired 1921, as part of the Purvis Russell Collection.
Bottom Right: Matau (fish-hook). Te Puawaitanga 1500-1800. Iwi unknown. Bone, fibre/ 80 x 53 x 12mm. Gift of W. Leo Buller, 1911, from the Sir Walter Buller Collection.
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/

The Best Little Small Museum Ever!

Pataka or Storehouse (for food)

Meeting House, Okains Bay Maori & Colonial Museum, Banks Peninsular. 2008 Ajr

If you go down to the bay today, you’re in for a big surprise…..Okains Bay Maori & Colonial Museum is a thing of beauty and wonder – one man’s passion for collecting taken to extremes. Murray Thacker is the man behind it all. When his collection bulged out of his home garage, he bought the old cheese factory building (in 1968) and set up the astonishing array of exhibits he had collected over many decades. In 1977 it was made a public museum and today it gets around 6,000 visitors a year – which is quite remarkable in itself when you consider how ‘off the beaten track’ Okains Bay is. I spent ages here, totally captivated by the gathered histories of Maori and Pakeha alike. The Maori meeting house shown above (interior and exterior) was built observing all Maori traditions, using original materials from other meeting houses. Most of the carving was done by well known master carver, John Rua. The main Maori artefact museum houses many treasures, including a sacred god stick dating back to 1400, a war canoe from 1867 and a valuable Akaroa hei tiki recovered in England and brought back to Okains Bay by the museum’s founder. An amazing treasure trove well worth the effort of getting there.

MOKO

I’ve been going through my Okains Bay Maori and Colonial Museum photos again and found this one (right) referencing the art of Maori moko or tattoo. Traditionally, men were tattooed much more heavily than women, who mainly tattooed their lips (kauae) and their chins. There’s been a strong resurgence of interest in moko – among both men and women keen to acknowledge their Maori heritage – and many are also choosing to be tattooed the traditional way using uhi or chisels, rather than with modern tools.

The Kete Collection

Maori Kete, Okains Bay Museum 2008. Ajr
I was trimming my flax bushes last week and I was reminded of the wonderful displays of traditional Maori kete I saw at Okains Bay Maori & Colonial Museum year. Kete is the Maori word for a basket made from the dried leaves of New Zealand flax (Mahi harakeke). They were used for carrying food, belongings and treasures (taonga) and were made in a wide variety of intricate designs, patterns and colours. This is one of the best small rural museums in New Zealand.