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Module performs for Game Masters

6 November 2012 – 12.01pm

In association with Te Papa’s season of Game Masters exhibition, opening at Te Papa on 15 December, renowned electronic musician/producer Module, aka Jeramiah Ross, will perform his critically acclaimed soundtrack from the award-winning video game Shatter. He will perform two concerts at Te Papa’s Soundings Theatre on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 January 2013, 7pm–8.30pm.

Module performing Shatter Live, San Francisco Bath House, September 2012, image by Mario Wynands. Copyright: Mario Wynands

Module performing Shatter Live, San Francisco Bath House, September 2012, image by Mario Wynands. Copyright: Mario Wynands

Building on a successful production at Wellington’s San Francisco Bath House, ‘this is set to be a much larger production for a broader audience’ says Module.

The performance tells the story of a robot breaking free to escape an oppressive machine-based world. Module will single-handedly play and loop a wide range of instruments including computers, synthesizers, and electric guitars.

Attendees can expect a heady mix of French Electro, fused with 80s inspired Dance Music and driven by pounding dance rhythms, blazing solos, and keyboard embellishments.

In true Module fashion, the show will be an immersive sensory experience that will include lasers and lights. The high production standards will be supported by Wellington based digital media artists Interrupt Collective.

Module Live is set to be a truly memorable experience.

Tickets for both nights go on sale early November with a limited number of early release tickets priced at $15.00 (+ booking fee) available through Te Papa’s website. Normal ticket prices range from $12.00 for children, to  $22.00 for adults.

www.tepapa.govt.nz/gamemasters

Enquiries

For further information, contact:

Tina Norris, Manager Communications (Acting), 021 225 7538, 04 381 7233, Tina.Norris@tepapa.govt.nz

For event specific information and images, contact:

Te Arikirangi Mamaku, Events Producer, 027 250 4140,  04 381 7239, Tearikirangim@tepapa.govt.nz

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Two Te Papa exhibitions open at the National Museum of China

2 November 2012 – 4.44pm

Two Te Papa exhibitions open at the National Museum of China

Kura Pounamu: Treasured stone of Aotearoa New Zealand
Brian Brake: Lens on China and New Zealand

2012 marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and New Zealand. To mark the occasion, Te Papa is delighted to partner with the National Museum of China to present two exhibitions that speak of the friendship between our two countries.

Kura Pounamu exhibition at the National Museum of China. Te Papa

Kura Pounamu exhibition at the National Museum of China. Te Papa

The hugely successful opening event on 31 October, was attended by over 300 invited guests and members of the public as well as New Zealand’s Ambassador to China and New Zealand Embassy and business representatives. Around 50 members of the press also attended and Te Papa’s Chief Executive, Mike Houlihan later interviewed on China Central TV.

Iwi representatives Shane Te Ruki (Ngati Maniapoto) and Richard Wallace (Ngai Tahu) opened the exhibition with a karakia.

Read more about these exhibitions

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Te Papa to display a selection of European art from New Zealand’s collections

15 October 2012 – 2.34pm

Angels and Aristocrats: Early European art in New Zealand public collections, an exhibition of European paintings spanning five centuries from about 1340 to 1830, opens at Te Papa on 20 October 2012. The exhibition is developed as a touring exhibition from Auckland Art Gallery

Toi o Tāmaki which comprises a selection of works from Mary Kisler’s book of the same name, published in 2010.

Divided into themes of religious art, landscape art, narrative paintings and portraiture, Angels and Aristocrats is drawn from the collections of Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery.

The exhibition begins with small medieval panels of saints alongside grand baroque works such as Guido Reni’s St Sebastian, through to depictions of the Roman campagna and the rich landscapes of the Netherlands, exemplified in paintings by Claude Lorraine and Aelbert Cuyp.

Guido Reni (1575–1642), Italy, Saint Sebastian, about 1617–21, oil on canvas. Gift of James Tannock Mackelvie, 1882. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Guido Reni (1575–1642), Italy, Saint Sebastian, about 1617–21, oil on canvas. Gift of James Tannock Mackelvie, 1882. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Genre painting focuses on all aspects of human behaviour, whether heroic and humble. In Pieter Breughel the Younger’s Village Fair, for example, (ostensibly a celebration of two village saints, St Anthony and St Hubert) rich and poor celebrate the kermesse, where feasting and drinking (and falling drunk among the chickens) allowed brief respite from everyday drudgery.

Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564–1638), Flanders, A Village Fair (Village Festival in Honour of Saint Hubert and Saint Anthony), early 1600s, oil on panel. Purchased by the Mackelvie Trust, 1961. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564–1638), Flanders, A Village Fair (Village Festival in Honour of Saint Hubert and Saint Anthony), early 1600s, oil on panel. Purchased by the Mackelvie Trust, 1961. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

The power of portraiture to ‘keep the memory alive’, whether through formal portraits, or the careful rendering of a loved one’s features, is strongly represented by paintings from the 17th century to the early 19th century. The illegitimate but widely admired Maria, Countess Waldegrave (Dunedin) by Sir Joshua Reynolds, sits in the company of Thomas Gainsborough’s George Lavington, Bishop of Exeter, whose grim expression suggests he certainly would not approve.

Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88), England, George Lavington, Bishop of Exeter, 1760s, oil on canvas. Purchased by the Mackelvie Trust, 1960. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88), England, George Lavington, Bishop of Exeter, 1760s, oil on canvas. Purchased by the Mackelvie Trust, 1960. Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

The core touring exhibition includes 52 paintings drawn from the collections of Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa, Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery. While at Te Papa Angels and Aristocrats will include 12 extra genre and classical landscape paintings, including George Dawe’s enormous Genevieve, painted in response to Coleridge’s famous romantic poem Love.

Angels and Aristocrats: Early European art in New Zealand public collections is at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 20 October 2012 – 27 January 2013. Visit www.tepapa.govt.nz/angels

Download a printable version (PDF, 92kB)

For further information, images and interview requests please contact:
Tina Norris
Ph : 04 381 7233 or 021 225 7538
Email: Media@tepapa.govt.nz

Angels and Aristocrats: Early European Art in New Zealand Public Collectionsis an Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki touring exhibition curated by Mary Kisler, Senior Curator, Mackelvie Collection, International Art.

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News from Loans

6 August 2012 – 5.08pm
Mirek Smisek, Vase, saltglazed stoneware, 1972-0038-1, purchased 1972 with Ellen Eames Collection funds. (in Mirek Smisek: 60 Years, 60 Pots)

Mirek Smisek, Vase, saltglazed stoneware, 1972-0038-1, purchased 1972 with Ellen Eames Collection funds.
(in Mirek Smisek: 60 Years, 60 Pots)

We are proud to be able to lend our collection items to support the amazing exhibitions in other New Zealand and international museums and art galleries. Te Papa is in a unique position to be able to lend a wide variety of items and respond to the needs of those building their own exhibitions, and who inevitably, interpret our items in new and exciting ways. We try our hardest to make our collection items available and begin each loan with a ‘we want to do this’ mindset.

Siapo (tapa cloth), Wallis & Futuna Islands, 1960s, FE012568, purchased 2010. (in Oceania: Imagining the Pacific)

Siapo (tapa cloth), Wallis & Futuna Islands, 1960s, FE012568, purchased 2010.
(in Oceania: Imagining the Pacific)

Our collections, which cover all kinds of art, deeply meaningful taonga Maori, everyday items imbued with great historical significance, exquisite photographs, fascinating items from Pacific cultures, and natural environment specimens, were seen in 28 different exhibitions in the 2011-2012 year.

Exhibitions such as Auckland Art Gallery’s Angels & Aristocrats: Early Art in New Zealand Public Collections and Wellington City Gallery’s sister exhibition Oceania: Imagining the Pacific stand out because we were able to provide vital works.

Anthonis Mor van Dashorst, Portrait of a young man, oil on wood panel, C16th, 1955-0001-1, Gift of Miss Noeline Baker, 1955 (in Angels & Aristocrats: Early Art in New Zealand Public Collections )

Anthonis Mor van Dashorst, Portrait of a young man, oil on wood panel, C16th, 1955-0001-1, Gift of Miss Noeline Baker, 1955
(in Angels & Aristocrats: Early Art in New Zealand Public Collections )

But we can’t ignore lending nine significant taonga Māori to Rotorua Museum of Art & History for their exhibition Nga Pumanawa o Te Arawa: The Bleeding Heart of Te Arawa, the exhibition that marked the opening of the re-built Don Stafford wing of their remarkable building. Neither can we pass by lending six taonga Māori to Puke Ariki for their outstanding exhibition Mutanga: Our Legacy Our Challenge Our Future or seeing Michael Parakowhai’s Venice Biennale piano He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Zealand river in Christchurch along with his other works that make up On first Looking into Chapman’s Homer.

Don Driver’s powerful installation Ritual was a highlight in the City Gallery Wellington exhibition The Obstinate Object as was John Ioane’s potent installation Poly wants a cracker in the Deane Gallery there.

Ralph Hotere’s singular installation, Pathway to the sea, Aramoana was seen at Dunedin Public Art Gallery in their exhibition Dark Light and Mary Louise Brown’s black granite word poem Black sash featured in Back in Black.

We were able to support smaller institutions and community groups over the year. Two paintings of Katherine Mansfield appeared at the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, seventeen items spent a day at the Tokelau Easter Expo in Porirua and Dame Malvina’s concert gown was on display for her 21st Anniversary Celebration concert. A ceramic by Mirek Smisek, included in the Mahara Gallery exhibition Mirek Smisek: 60 Years, 60 Pots, was seen at Mahara Gallery, Expressions Arts & Entertainment Centre, Puke Ariki, Sarjeant Gallery, Tairawhiti Museum & Art Gallery and Otago Museum.

I have not mentioned every loan but you can see that all in all it has been a good year.

Jo Torr
Loans Manager

Angels and Aristocrats at Te Papa

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Kōrero Kākahu: Building Kōrero

13 July 2012 – 4.57pm

By Matariki Williams

As many of you will probably know, it is school holidays time and Te Papa is buzzing with the energy of its many extra little visitors. Kahu Ora is no exception and when I went in to talk to the new weavers in residence, I was very happy to see the exhibition filled with people. As earlier mentioned, the group joining us this week is Raranga Kākahu, Raranga Tāngata, Raranga Whakapapa and yesterday we had Matthew McIntyre-Wilson and Mark Sykes weaving in the studio. When I walked in, they were both surrounded by inquisitive visitors of all ages and happily explaining what it is that they were working on.

Matthew McIntyre-Wilson. Photograph by Matariki Williams. Te Papa.

Matthew McIntyre-Wilson. Photograph by Matariki Williams. Te Papa.

For Matthew this will be a hīeke, like his earlier pākē, but with more some similarities to a kahu toi. He explained the similarities being that the ends will be plaited to make it more robust against wear. Also, like kahu toi, all materials are used. The copper from inside the cables is stripped out to form the tags and the plastic outer forms the foundation of the cloak. The copper is then rolled to make it flatter and give it more of a tag-like shape. This experimental approach, whereby he learnt by doing, is a recurring theme of Matthew’s work and I like how the art form is evolving in his hands. Like his pākē, this hieke is made from electrical cables. These were donated to him by General Cables in Christchurch after he approached them about this project. They were generous enough to give him 100 metres of cable in three different colours, red, black and white, and he has invited them up to see them worked into a new life.

Matthew McIntyre-Wilson and a Te Papa host. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa.

Matthew McIntyre-Wilson and a Te Papa host. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa.

No material is wasted as Matthew uses the offcuts to create necklaces, one of which is also on show in the weavers’ studio. This process is an interesting comparison to Mark’s weaving with more traditional natural fibres. Mark is also making a pākē but is using neinei and pingao which will be layered as piu or tags.

Mark Sykes preparing the muka. Photograph by Matariki Williams. Te Papa.

Mark Sykes preparing the muka. Photograph by Matariki Williams. Te Papa.

When I entered the weavers’ studio, Mark was explaining to a very engaged young lady about how to prepare the flax for weaving. Her mother and sister then stood to the side having a go with some flax he gave them. This kept them busy for some time until she came back and asked him if she could keep it. It was so sweet seeing this exchange and the pride of the young lady in what she had made. Being in the weavers studio I could hear multiple conversations regarding what the weavers were doing; a mother to a daughter “This is the muka” and another lady at Mark’s table explaining to other visitors about the materials being used.

Mark and some interested visitors. Photography by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa.

Mark and some interested visitors. Photography by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa.

There is a touch table in the studio that has native birds feathers, a patu muka that is used to beat harakeke, a mussel shell that is used to strip harakeke and various other weaving materials. As I was standing there, multiple people came up to touch the kiwi feathers with awed whispers of “this is kiwi”. Then two very excited kids spotted someone who must have been their favourite host: Hohepa Potini. They implored him to show them how to strip the flax again and he willingly obliged. It is a veritable melting pot of knowledge in the weavers’ studio with the weavers, visitors and hosts all bouncing off one another and being passed to a new generation. This human interface is part of what makes Kahu Ora such a beautiful exhibition to experience and seeing how positively all of the visitors feel about it is indisputable proof. So once again, a big mihi to the weavers who were in the studio and those who are to come.

Today, and for the rest of the weekend, the full roopu will be in so come in and meet Sorrel Kemp and Hiri Crawford.

From next week, a lecture series will be starting in accordance with Kahu Ora called Tuitui Kōrero. Next Thursday, Karl Leonard and Morehu Flutey-Henare will talk about how weaving is transferred from artist to artist. It will be at the Marae on Level 4 from 12:30 to 1:30 and entry is free, so come and have a listen.

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Kōrero Kākahu: Weaving Worldviews

10 July 2012 – 11.59am
by Matariki Williams

A highlight for me in Kahu Ora is a kākahu that is in the process of being cleaned by Textile Conservator Anne Peranteau. This kahu kurī is from between 1750 and 1840, of unknown provenance, and is made from strips of the pelt of a kurī (Polynesian dog) sewn onto a finely twined foundation of muka (flax fibre).

Kahu kurī of highest prestige were made from whole pelts of kurī sewn together. One of the only known examples, on loan from Puke Ariki, is currently on display in Kahu Ora. Given the value placed on the kurī, other kākahu were made using the pelts in a more economic way, like this cloak sewn from strips of dogskin.

Kahu kurï (dog skin cloak), 1750-1840, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Bequest of Kenneth Athol Webster, 1971. Te Papa

This kākahu is currently on display in a partially cleaned state effectively displaying the difference in what lies beneath the build-up of years. This is notable as it is unusual practice for Te Papa to showcase this process and this photo does not really do it justice. By viewing the kākahu in person you get to see the real difference in the immense amount of work that has been carried out and the unquantifiable value of this work is evident.

The work of Te Papa conservator Rangi Te Kanawa and her whānau background is a very interesting merging of tikanga Māori with the conservation ideals of the Western world. Rangituatahi Te Kanawa comes from a line of esteemed weavers including mother, the late Diggeress Te Kanawa, and grandmother, the late Rangimarie Hetet.

Her inherent knowledge adds to her expertise and understanding of the intricacies of kākahu. Given her upbringing and connection to two expert weavers, it comes as no surprise that Rangi Te Kanawa is also a weaver, a fact that only adds to her connection with the taonga: “I have a huge appreciation of the craftsmanship in this work. Because of my background, I know exactly what a whatu (twining) stitch is. I know how many whatu stitches are in each weft (horizontal) row.” The following video shows Rangi talking more about her background and gives some information about the conservation work she does with her particular interest in the degradation of natural fibres due to being dyed in iron-rich mud.

What these two stories display for me is the merging of two worldviews and the kinds of breakthroughs in understandings that this partnership affords descendants and practitioners alike. This is especially significant when there has been such a huge loss of customary knowledge. Through the hands-on work of weavers and the investigations into the chemical elements of the dyes and fibres of kākahu, we are able to regain some of what has been lost and continue this documentation of knowledge for future generations; something that Whatu Kākahu builds on.

Donna Head, Kohai Grace and Clare Butler. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa

Donna Head, Kohai Grace and Clare Butler. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa

Last weekend saw the final Weavers’ Studio to feature Ngā Tapuwae o Hine-te-iwaiwa after their month-long residence. It’s been a pleasure walking through Kahu Ora and seeing visitors interact with them and watching weaving in action. Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou.

Kohai Grace. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa

Kohai Grace. Photograph by Pamela Lovis. Te Papa

This week another group will be in the Weavers’ Studio, Raranga Kākahu, Raranga Tāngata, Raranga Whakapapa. This group includes Mark Sykes, who is also a Te Papa Collection Manager Māori, Matthew McIntyre-Wilson who made the pākē featured in an earlier post, also Sorrel Kemp and Hiri Crawford. Come in and meet them from Wednesday.

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Kōrero Kākahu: Goldie, Lindauer and Korowai

29 June 2012 – 12.05pm
by Matariki Williams

Aside from the kākahu on display, Kahu Ora presents visitors with the opportunity to see three exemplars of New Zealand art close up. Two oil paintings by Charles Goldie and another from Gottfried Lindauer show kākahu in another medium and are juxtaposed by an impressive example of a korowai. Many photographs are used throughout Kahu Ora to illustrate the history and kōrero (story) surrounding kākahu but the inclusion of these three paintings, almost in a section of their own, is a welcome inclusion.

The first painting is titled ‘Pipi Puzzled’ and depicts the bust of a Ngāti Whakaue woman named Pipi Haerehuka.

Pipi puzzled [Pipi Haerehuka (Te Ärani), Ngäti Whakaue], 1919, Auckland. Goldie, Charles F. Purchased 1949. Te Papa

Pipi puzzled [Pipi Haerehuka (Te Ärani), Ngäti Whakaue], 1919, Auckland. Goldie, Charles F. Purchased 1949. Te Papa

The texture of the painting is incredible; you can almost feel the softness of her hair and the leather of her skin. My father’s mother was from Ngāti Whakaue but we grew up not knowing her side of the family so having the opportunity to stand in front of a tipuna is one of the most important intangible experiences Kahu Ora offers.

The second Goldie featured in Kahu Ora is Thoughts of a Tohunga depicting the Ngāti Manawa tohunga, Te Wharekauri Tahuna. Due to his profile sitting, you can see the detail in the portrait down to the vein on his forehead. The depth of his wrinkles and tā moko are also evident. Unfortunately we don’t have the clearance to publish this image online, but come in and see the painting in person to fully comprehend how beautiful it is.

Darby and Joan [Ina Te Papatahi, Ngä Puhi], 1903, Auckland. Goldie, Charles F. Purchased 1991 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board and the Minister's discretionary funds. Te Papa

Darby and Joan [Ina Te Papatahi, Ngä Puhi], 1903, Auckland. Goldie, Charles F. Purchased 1991 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board and the Minister’s discretionary funds. Te Papa

In other paintings of his, including those of Ina Te Papatahi from Ngā Puhi he depicts his sitter in a despondent manner with the decay of Māori culture materialised around her. This was representative of the contemporary view, and one that Goldie appeared to perpetuate, that Māori were a dying people and culture. Though we can look back on his practices with the benefit of hindsight, we also reap the benefits of seeing tipuna portrayed in such a realistic manner.

The third painting on display is by Gottfried Lindauer of Mrs Mihiterina Takamoana.

Mrs Mihiterina Takamoana, Napier NZ, 1877, New Zealand. Lindauer, Gottfried. Te Papa

Mrs Mihiterina Takamoana, Napier NZ, 1877, New Zealand. Lindauer, Gottfried. Te Papa

Lindauer and Goldie together were the most prolific portrait painters of their times and in the book Pictures of Old New Zealand by Gottfried Lindauer the value of the portraits lay in what they have captured for their descendants, “…the dignified rangatiras and warrior chiefs, who have now all passed away to the Reinga, the spiritland.” Unlike some of Lindauer’s more well-known portraits like Ana Rupene and Child that are also depicted wearing korowai, there is little known about Mihiterina and I think her inclusion in the exhibition heightens the chance that through this exposure she may be reconnected with her descendants.

Remember the Weavers Studio will be in until Sunday.

Korowai (cloak with decorative tassels), 1800 s, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Gift of Alexander Turnbull, 1913. Te Papa

Korowai (cloak with decorative tassels), 1800 s, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Gift of Alexander Turnbull, 1913. Te Papa

Korowai developed from the more practical pākē however the tags on a korowai are primarily for decorative purposes instead of protection from rain. Korowai evolved further with the introduction of wool to New Zealand and in the aforementioned painting Ana Rupene and Child, you can view an example of the colourful pompoms that were in vogue. The korowai on display with the paintings uses no wool and the hukahuka (decorative tags) are dyed with paru or ferruginous mud which has an active ingredient of iron oxide.

This korowai has provided us with another step in the evolutionary journey of the kākahu and how Māori have continued to adapt the techniques and materials. However, the inclusion of this korowai without wool and the paintings of people wearing similar kinds of korowai remind us that this evolution does not happen without the innovations of the past.

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Kōrero kākahu: Rain Capes

21 June 2012 – 12.50pm
by Matariki Williams

This week we are featuring two kākahu shown in Kahu Ora that employ the same weaving techniques but use distinctly different materials. These kākahu are both versions of pākē or rain capes, one from 1850-1900 and the other made in 2009 by Matthew McIntyre-Wilson.

Päkë, 2009, Wellington. McIntyre-Wilson, Matthew. Purchased 2011. Te Papa

Päkë, 2009, Wellington. McIntyre-Wilson, Matthew. Purchased 2011. Te Papa

The inspiration for this pākē hukahuka came when Matthew inherited a pākē that had originally been given to his great-grandfather and was possibly from Te Rangihiroa, Sir Peter Buck. Trained as a jeweller, Matthew was taught how to weave through his friend and master weaver, the late Rangi Kiu. After initially working with flax, Matthew moved into using more contemporary materials thus combining his passions.

Päkë, 2009, Wellington. McIntyre-Wilson, Matthew. Purchased 2011. Te Papa

Päkë, 2009, Wellington. McIntyre-Wilson, Matthew. Purchased 2011. Te Papa

The underside of the cloak is very colourful and shows the base of the cloak to be made of electrical cables. The overlapping tags on the outer of the cloak have been made from the copper stripped from the cables. Despite the deep layers of silver and copper, the colours from the electrical cables also show through.

The pākē developed from a need for Māori to adapt to their newer, cooler clime. They were strong and durable and oft valued for their practicality over their aesthetic qualities. This pākē from Matthew manages to bridge both these qualities, being both modelled on a pākē with its layers of thatching (I’m not sure if it has been tested on its waterproof qualities!) and being exquisitely beautiful.

Whakatipu (type of rain cape), 1850-1900, Taranaki. Maker unknown. Purchased 1904. Te Papa

Whakatipu (type of rain cape), 1850-1900, Taranaki. Maker unknown. Purchased 1904. Te Papa

This whakatipu is from between 1850 and 1900 and is made from natural materials with a foundation of muka (processed New Zealand flax) and covered in rain tags also made from short strips of flax. The tags are attached to the foundation starting from the bottom of the kākahu and heading upward creating a thatch affect that causes rain to drain off the cloak and keep the wearer dry. The whakatipu is laid flat in Kahu Ora and the height of the tags off the foundation is impressive, this kākahu would be both warm but also impenetrable to rain. Botanist Joseph Banks who accompanied Captain James Cook on his first voyage to New Zealand observed of pākē that “every strip of leaf becomes…a kind of gutter which serves to conduct the rain down.”

Whakatipu (type of rain cape), 1850-1900, Taranaki. Maker unknown. Purchased 1904. Te Papa

The detail on this whakatipu is quite astonishing, each harakeke tag will have been scraped with a mussel shell to soften it, been folded in half and then twined into the foundation of the cloak. From afar, this cloak looks very feathery in texture due to the hundreds of tags. Most pākē were for everyday wear with mangaeka and tihetihe as exceptions, these kinds of pākē were coloured and worn by chiefs. Kahu tōī were different again and were valued for their protection and camouflage, they had thick necks that could dull the blow of a weapon.

Changes in the material used to make kākahu highlight the need for people to adapt to the areas they live in. Having discovered that the aute (paper mulberry tree) from the Pacific did not take to the cooler New Zealand climate, Māori found harakeke to be a suitable replacement to make garments with. Matthew carries this adaptive sentiment forward with his application of a material that he is already renowned for working with. In Whatu Kākahu it is stated that senior weaver Eddie Maxwell felt that it was the mana of the weaver that determined the value of any weaving rather than the materials, and considered garments woven from plastic and other non-natural resources as having their own beauty. This applies to Matthew’s cloak which is made from a mixture of natural and non-natural resources. His pākē is a rainbow of colours covered with the fine threads of copper and silver. The whakatipu is also impressive with deep colours on the rain tags and the sheer thickness of the kākahu. Both are taonga of their times but also manage to transcend time in that the techniques utilised are sustained.

A new competition has just been added to the Te Papa facebook page where you can design your own cloak and be in the draw to win an indulgent weekend in Wellington.

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The Intern Files: Week 1, Taking the Plunge

18 June 2012 – 2.13pm
By Melissa Beseda

On June 11th and June 12th, Te Papa hosted a Sāmoan Artist Exchange in celebration of Sāmoa’s 50 years of independence. Artists included weavers demonstrating ie toga (fine mat) techniques at the Weavers’ Studio area of our new exhibition Kahu Ora | Living Cloaks, tatau (tattoo) artists, master carvers, and makers of sennit – a type of woven cord used throughout the Pacific. Wasting no time, on the second day of my internship here at Te Papa and my third day in New Zealand, I put on the lavalava and Paul Junior Suluape designed and applied a tatau in the traditional Sāmoan style on my forearm. This involves using the ‘au, which is a comb that is dipped in the ink and carefully applied using a wooden mallet. Certainly it hurt a bit but how could I have passed up such a unique opportunity? The result is a beautiful tatau, reminiscent of a bird in fight, which Paul applied without the help of a stencil, demonstrating his expertise and artistry.

Paul Junior Suluape applying the tatau to Melissa Beseda’s forearm.

Here I am on Day 3, my forearm healing and my intern project taking shape. This is with Digital Projects where I will be developing visitor engagement via Te Papa’s free wifi and evaluating SMS engagement, as well as other digital projects. I am here from Seattle, where I am enrolled in a Master’s program in Museology at the University of Washington. I am incredibly fortunate to have this internship opportunity and am ready for all of the diverse and wonderful experiences that Te Papa has to offer, both personally and professionally. One thing is for certain: my time here at Te Papa will certainly leave a mark in more ways than one.

Paul Junior Suluape and Melissa Beseda posing for a picture with the newly completed tatau.

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Kahu Ora: Weaving stories and people

15 June 2012 – 4.05pm

When taonga are brought out of the stores and into the light, they have a transformative power on their descendants. This tangible feeling is elicited immediately when you enter Kahu Ora: Living Cloaks.

At the opening of the exhibition, I entered the gallery to the sound of karakia reverberating around the walls of the gallery followed by a waiata sung by a visiting school. Returning to the exhibition yesterday was another sensory experience; the sounds of a waiata set to a performance of harakeke and the voices of the people experiencing the exhibition.

A woman uses a patu muka (flax-fibre beater) to prepare fibre for weaving, 1921 by James McDonald. Te Papa

A woman uses a patu muka (flax-fibre beater) to prepare fibre for weaving, 1921 by James McDonald. Te Papa

There are weavers in residence from Wednesday to Sunday each week from 12-4pm. Yesterday I had the chance to sit and talk with one of them, Kohai Grace, about a kākahu she is working on. The kākahu is being made for her whanau and has been touched by and worked on by many of her family members including one of the Collection Manager-Māori, Moana Parata. Moana explained to me how the feathers for the kākahu had been gifted to her by a Te Papa member in the natural history department who no longer had a use for them. They had been cleaned and prepared beautifully and the decision was made to use them in the kākahu. This story is symbolic of the connections between people that taonga Māori represent and how powerful this connection is.

As I walked through the exhibition yesterday I came across a kākahu that was given to ethnographer Elsdon Best by the Tūhoe rangatira Tūtakangāhau after the death of his granddaughter Marewa-i-te-Rangi. This connection brought me to tears, standing in front of a taonga of such intricate beauty from my own iwi, I felt humbled in her presence. My koroua is a direct descendant of Tūtakangāhau and my older brother is named after him, I also have a niece named after Marewa-i-te-Rangi so I felt the connection very profoundly. Last night I told my brother about the exhibition and he has decided to bring in his class when he next visits Wellington from Rotorua.

Kahu huruhuru (feather cloak), c. 1890, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Te Papa

Kahu huruhuru (feather cloak), c. 1890, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Te Papa

This is the transformative power of taonga Māori and the connection they have to their people. Taonga continue to connect people to one another and to themselves, accumulating kōrero and transcending time. Kahu Ora connects people and weaves together their kōrero, it has brought the taonga out of the stores to be warmed by their descendants and I implore you all to come along and experience it.

This weekend there are many events on at Te Papa as part of the Matariki celebrations. You can also find out more about kākahu on the Te Papa website.

Matariki Williams

Matariki Events at Te Papa
Kākahu Māori Cloaks website

Posted in Collections Online, Māori, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)
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