Hei tiki (pendant in human form), Dec 2008, Rotorua. Gardiner, Lewis. Purchased 2009. Te Papa
Te Papa’s exhibition “Kura Pounamu: Treasured Jade Art of Aotearoa New Zealand” opens on 1 April at Liangzhu Museum, Hangzhou, China.
Liangzhu Museum is located in the heart of one of the largest and most significant jade archaeological sites in China dating back over 5000 years.
新西兰国家博物馆-蒂帕帕关于“毛利碧玉：新西兰文化艺术珍品展”即将于今年4月1日在中国杭州市的良渚博物院展出。 良渚博物院座落于中国最大的也是最显著的玉文化遗址区，良渚玉文化有超过5千年的历史。
Te Papa is deeply saddened by the death yesterday of Ralph Hotere – one of the country’s greatest artists. Our thoughts go out to his family, his friends, and the arts community.
Marti Friedlander, ‘Ralph Hotere outside “first studio” on Flagstaff, Port Chalmers’, circa 1976, black and white photograph, gelatin silver print. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds, Te Papa.
Ralph once commented that ‘There are few things I can say about my work that are better than saying nothing’. Keeping this in mind, to remember this remarkable artist and his incredible contribution to New Zealand art, here is a selection of his works in Te Papa’s collection.
Ralph Hotere, ‘Cruciform II’, from the series ‘Human Rights’, 1964, acrylic on wood. Purchased 1981 with New Zealand Lottery Board funds, Te Papa. © Reproduced courtesy of Ralph Hotere. All rights reserved.
Ralph Hotere, ‘Black Phoenix’, 1984-88, burnt wood and metal. Purchased 1988 with Mary Buick Bequest funds, Te Papa. © Reproduced courtesy of Ralph Hotere. All rights reserved.
Ralph Hotere and Bill Culbert, ‘Blackwater’, 1998-99, lacquer on corrugated aluminium, fluorescent tubes, cable, wood. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds, Te Papa. © Reproduced courtesy of Ralph Hotere. All rights reserved.
Ralph Hotere and Bill Culbert, ‘Pathway to the sea / Aramoana’, 1991, fluorescent lamps, paua shells, rocks. Purchased 1993, Te Papa.
If you are in Wellington we invite you to come into Te Papa and view one of Hotere’s last great works, ‘VOID’ (2006) made with long-time collaborator Bill Culbert.
Ralph Hotere and Bill Culbert, ‘VOID’, 2006, neon tubes, rubber, glass, steel, paint. Commissioned 2006, Te Papa.
From tomorrow morning, the following work will also be on public display in tribute:
Ralph Hotere, ‘ Lo negro sobre lo oro’, 1992, mixed media on glass, Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds, Te Papa. © Reproduced courtesy of Ralph Hotere. All rights reserved.
- Megan Tamati-Quennell (Curator, Contemporary Maori and Indigenous Art) and Sarah Farrar (Curator, Contemporary Art)
ME024090; Āpotoro Rēhita Haahi Rātana Kākahu (Registered Apostle Ratana Church religious clothing)
Continuing the blogging about some of the key uniforms and acquisitions for the Uniformity exhibition, this blog is going to talk about one of my favourite uniforms in the show: the robes of an Āpotoro Rēhita from the Rātana Church and a uniform with which I have a personal affinity.
What is Rātana?
Rātana is a Māori adaptation of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Founded in 1918 by T.W. Rātana (1873–1939), Rātana has become a major Māori church in New Zealand with over 45, 000 Morehu or followers (as at the 2006 census). T.W. Rātana was raised Presbyterian with Wesleyan influences, so it is highly likely this religious familiarity has influenced the presentation of the Rātana kākahu, which show a distinct and direct correlation to the Protestant ecclesiastical vestments. The clothing that symbolised authority within the Protestant faith was adapted as the symbols of authority and leadership in the Rātana faith.
From its establishment to today, the Rātana Church continues its role as an important faith and guide for many Māori across the country, and T.W. Rātana had a major impact on Māori leadership in the twentieth century.
A.005127; At Ratana; 1939; Maori; Raine, William Hall
A.005115; Ratana; about 1933; Raine, William Hall.
5 men (all 5 wearing suits), on house porch, attending the 60th birthday celebrations of Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana (centre, front row) :- Back row (left to right) – PK Paikea, T Omana. Front row (lerft to right) – HT Ratana, Tahu Potiki Wiremu Ratana and ET Tirikatene.
Rātana Ministerial Uniforms
Uniforms are of great importance to the Rātana Church, especially as visual signifiers of the specific roles and duties of the wearer. There are three levels of Āpotoro – three different ministers/readers, and each of these is identifiable by their various prescribed uniforms.
In the image below, you can see three types of minister uniforms.
The different Āpotoro at Rātana Pā. Photograph courtesy of Robin Ohia. 2011.
The Āpotoro Rēhita or the Registered Apostle is an official registered minister who not only has spiritual duties but also legal. They are legally mandated to carry out the similar duties as a Justice of the Peace. (Purple cassock, white surplice, purple stole)
There are also the Āpotoro Wairua, the lay-readers, who support many followers of the Rātana Faith with spiritual counsel and guidance. (Blue robe, red stole)
There are the Akonga, or the disciples in training. (White surplice, yellow stole)
Colour origins
The design origins of the Rātana ministerial clothing lie within the Old Testament from the Exodus gospel: “And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39, 1)
The Donor – Mita Ririnui
The Honourable Mita Ririnui in his Āpotoro Rēhita robes. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
These kākahu were gifted by Honourable Mita Ririnui, a retired Labour MP for the Waiariki District and an Apōtoro Rēhita in the Rātana Church for the last 25 years. He lives in Tauranga, where he was born and raised, and is of Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Pukenga descent. He continues to carry out Treaty Settlement work following his retirement from Parliament in 2011 and was raised in the Rātana Church:
“I have always been a member of the Rātana Church, my dad was a member of the Rātana Church, my granddad was a member of the Rātana Church so that’s the only religion I have ever known. …. I have always followed the philosophy of the Rātana Church; much of it has been instrumental in my upbringing.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012).
Mita became an Ākonga at the relatively young age of 27 and just a few years later he was made an Āpotoro Rēhita. His ascension within the church not only meant a commitment by him as an individual, it also required the commitment of his wider whanau. He described the special process in acquiring his appropriate robes for his new roles and the involvement of his family, almost as a rite of passage:
“My family gave me my kākahu – my first set of kākahu were my lay reader’s kākahu. My dad and his sisters gave me those. They were the only set of kākahu I had for that particular tūranga (appointment). When I graduated to the next level as an Āpotoro Wairua, the responsibility was mine from thereon…and so when I was appointed the position, I made a deliberate approach to the church authorities and presented my certificate. And once it had been signed, I made a deliberate attempt to purchase my own, because it had to be mine. And because the role became more important I had to take total responsibility.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
The Āpotoro Rēhita robes that he wore as a Registered Apostle were, in the end, paid for by Mita and his father. The involvement of family in the ordination and robing was significant. To acquire the robes, the pair made a trip to the Rātana Pā near Whanganui.
“They’re only made in the church office, Rātana Pā – these lovely ladies in the back room, with their sewing machines, having been seamstresses in previous lives, and I’d like to say made to measure, but they fitted me perfectly.” (Mita Ririnui, interview with the Curator, 14 June 2012)
Mita was then 30 years old, and still continues to practice today as an Āpotoro Rēhita.
Detail close ups of the kākahu. Photographed by Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
On a slightly more personal note, while I was brought up Katorika or Catholic, I was also raised alongside many of my extended family and members of my tribes who belonged to the Rātana church. Indeed three of my grandparents were raised Rātana (until my maternal grandmother converted to Catholicism after marrying my grandfather). So the Rātana church had a very strong presence in my childhood and I’ve always loved the colours and sounds of Rātana – their striking purple uniforms, hymns, the thunder and lament of the Rātana Brass Bands (otherwise called the Reo), and the solemnity of the spiritual Āpotoro. And in this, there were memories of watching uncles who were Āpotoro, dress in their Āpotoro robes, in readiness for Whakamoemiti or prayer service. There was a tangible sense of transformation and reflection as they dressed. In that short small and informal ritual of donning their robes over their everyday clothes they stopped being our uncles, and became spiritual leaders. I wanted to duplicate this process somehow in the Uniformity exhibition.
When I explained this to the Uniformity exhibition team and to Mita, they were in full support. And with huge amount of gratitude to the generosity of Mita, we were able to film the following clip here in our studio at Te Papa. We filmed his dressing process in the morning, and in the afternoon, I interviewed him about his life in the church and as an Āpotoro.
Filming Mita Ririnui in Te Papa studio. June 2012. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa 2012.
Adjusting robes for filming. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa 2012.
Mita Ririnui and the Curator. Photographer Michael Hall. Copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
The result of the filming was the following short AV, in which Mita recounts the significance of the robes and their coded meaning, as he dons the garb in front of the camera.
I’m always interested in hearing and seeing your own memories of churches in your life. Please feel free to share images or stories, either of the Rātana Church or of any other denomination.
He mihi:
Thank you to Mita Ririnui for his generosity in contributing to the Uniformity exhibition and sharing his personal stories with Te Papa.
Thank you also to Te Herekiekie Herewini, for peer reviewing this article.
Glossary:
Kākahu: Clothes, robes
Tūranga: appointed position
Āpotoro Rēhita: Registered Apostle
Āpotoro Wairua: Spiritual Apostle, Layreader
Ākonga: Acolyte, Learner
Whetū Marama: The crescent moon and star symbol of the RātanaChurch
Haahi: Church
Whakamoemiti: Pray, Prayer, Service
Whānau: family
Morehu: Rātana church followers
Decoding the Āpotoro Rēhita robes
This past Saturday (1 December 2012), we had a special request from a group of visitors who were going to be in Wellington for a weekend. They wished to come in and talk to some of the curators and see the collection. This is relatively common but what was slightly unusual about the group was that they had come from Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island.
Map of the Pacific. Image reproduced courtesy of Easter Island Travelling
Image of the famous Moai. Image reproduced courtesy of World Heritage Sites, on Tumblr.
Rapa Nui is in the furthest southeastern part of the Pacific, one of the most isolated of the islands which make up the Pacific Islands. It is home to the magnificent moai statues and part of Polynesia. Rapa Nui is called ‘Te Pito o te Henua’ (the bellybutton of the world), is a territory of Chile and home to nearly 6, 000 people. On the island, Spanish and Rapa Nui te reo is spoken. Rapa Nui reo is very similar to Te Reo Māori and speakers of both languages are able to communicate.
The request to visit came from Bronwen Golder, Director the Pew Environment Group Kermadec Initiative. The Pew Environment Group has committed itself to securing Government protection of the Kermadecs and as part of that commitment; it has sponsored the Kermadec show at City Gallery here in Wellington, and the Deep Sea Biology Symposium, held at Te Papa last week.
As part of the Pew conservation work, they are looking to develop a relationship with the indigenous people of Rapa Nui, where the Pew Group have identified a proposed reserve. So they sponsored a visit by five Rapa Nui tangata whenua with the intention to bring these representatives to New Zealand for a quick reconnaissance visit, in preparation for a larger group visit next year.
I have a special affection for requests from visitors from the Pacific. Many of the taonga that we care for in the museum have ancestral roots and resonances with many of the island nations throughout the Pacific. So when we have visitors from the Pacific to the Māori collection, I get very excited to hear their reflections and observations of the taonga Māori.
My own travels to two Pacific Festivals of the Arts (one in American Samoa in 2004, and the most recent in the Solomon Islands, 2012), I have been lucky to see the Rapa Nui island represent itself at the festival with dancers and carvers.
Rapa Nui dancer, at the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts, Solomon Islands. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
Rapa Nui carvings and artists, at the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts, Solomon Islands. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
For some reason, a ripple of excitement always went through the crowds when Rapa Nui presented itself in any of the parades. Whether it is the exotic, beautifully sensual nature of the dancing, the beauty of their dancers, or just the mystery of the people and culture of Rapa Nui, it is difficult to tell. In any case, Rapa Nui always holds some allure.
But like many of the Pacific Island nations, their recent history has been fraught with protests over land and recognition of indigenous rights, and great efforts to protect, and revitalise their language and culture.
The visiting group and the curator, in front of Te Hono ki Hawaiki (Te Papa’s wharenui). Photographer Dr Susan Waugh, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
The group:
Bronwen Golder (not pictured) – Director the Pew Environment Group Kermadec Initiative
Simon (Kuchy) Pakarati (left) – a Rapa Nui fisherman and Pew Environment Group leader on the island.
Alberto Hotus (2nd from the left) – Chair of the Council of Ancients on Rapa Nui. He was described by the group as a ‘Walking Library’ of Rapa Nui lore. He was the elder of the group and was referred to as Koro. He last visited New Zealand in 1976, when he came to the Pacific Festival of Arts in Rotorua.
Pedro Tepano (2nd from the right) –member of the Rapa Nui Council, who is responsible for revitalising Polynesian waka racing on the island.
Ernesto Escobar (right) – the Director of the Pew Global Ocean Legacy project in for Rapa Nui and Bronwen’s Chilean counterpart.
The Visit
A group of Te Papa staff gathered and greeted the visitors when they arrived. We had to speak through Ernesto, who translated from English to Spanish for us. I spoke Māori and we all managed to make ourselves understood. But thanks to Ernesto’s indefatigable efforts, he allowed the conversations to flow quite easily.
Te Papa has a few pieces in the collection with an association to Rapa Nui/Easter Island but when they began in the Pacific collection with Grace Hutton, Collection Manager Pacific, they were more interested in seeing material from other cultures. After the Pacific Collection, Mark Sykes (Maori Collection Manager) and I, took them into the Māori collection where we spent several hours going through the taonga Māori.
Through our shared conversations and exploration of the museum, I found it remarkable how many commonalities there were between us. The Polynesian culture – even though spread across thousands of miles – has maintained a strong presence throughout the many different islands. I showed them examples of taonga, such as the tokotoko, and they recognised them immediately – having the same taonga in Rapa Nui – with the same name and same function. In fact, the phrase – “same, same” kept arising the whole time they visited. Koro and I would discuss a story or a taonga and inevitably end up saying “same-same” and then smile at each other in recognition of the ancestral connections which still endure between our two islands.
We had similar stories, humour, and even body language. When discussing some of the bleaker aspects of both countries’ encounter histories; for instance, imperialism, cultural erosion, efforts to revitalise customs and practices – these were still points where we could share common experiences and struggles. It was amusing, poignant and endearing.
Pedro’s pukana. Photographer Puawai Cairns, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
Two places they took particular interest in, were the two whare in Te Papa. Te Hono ki Hawaiiki (pictured above in Pedro’s pukana picture) and the magnificent Rongowhakaata whare Te Hau ki Turanga. When I described the conflicted acquisition history of Te Hau ki Turanga and its negotiated return to Rongowhakaata, as part of the tribe’s Treaty settlement, there were nods of empathy and agreement that the whare’s return to its people was right.
Once they left the Cable Street site, Dr Susan Waugh then took them to the Natural Environment storage at the top of Tory Street, where they spent a further two hours looking at specimens in Te Papa’s enormous NE collection.
The Reo
Before their visit, my curator colleague and friend Reuben Friend from the City Gallery, sent me a list of Rapa Nui words that he thought I could intersperse throughout my conversations. I’ve listed them here because they reveal just how similar we truly are (I haven’t put in the macrons). [n.b. I am by no means a language expert, so consider this a rough guide as opposed to an exact linguistic translation.]
| Rapa Nui word | Māori word | English word |
| wananga | korero | to talk |
| ite | mohio | know |
| ina | kaore | no |
| Maururu | (can use kia ora) | thanks |
| hare komo | whare paku | toilet |
| rohirohi | ngenge | tired |
| Petipeti! | ka pai! | All is well! |
| hakaora | Whakaora (be well) | see ya |
These words came in pretty useful during the day, so many thanks to Reuben. If you want to listen to the sound of Rapa Nui reo, you can listen if you follow this link.
I hugely enjoyed the visit by our Rapa Nui whanaunga (relatives) and do hope they come back to Aotearoa again. I found it a moving experience, listening to their stories, their struggles to bring their own culture back from the brink and to be given the recognition that many indigenous peoples struggle for. I applaud the Pew Environment Group for having the foresight in supporting the people of Rapa Nui to be involved with their efforts to raise awareness of the fragility of the environment and the unique species found within the Kermadecs and around Rapa Nui.
In 2010, one of our staff wrote this intriguing blog about the toromiro tree, a relative species to the kowhai here in Aotearoa, used for Rapa Nui carvings. You’ll see that Aotearoa and Rapa Nui share more than cultural similarities.
I look forward to their next visit!
Maururu / Kia ora!
UPDATE: as a wonderful coincidence, this week two ocean-going waka from Aotearoa – using traditional navigational techniques and after four months voyaging – have arrived in Rapa Nui. You can read about it here: The Waka Tapu Project.
Koro (Alberto) and me. Photographer Dr Susan Waugh, copyright Te Papa Tongarewa, 2012.
My role at Te Papa is to identify feathers and hair in the ethnological collections, however on occasion I come across something interesting in my research including the following mystery. While identifying the feathers in the museum’s Māori textiles collection, I counted eight piupiu (skirt or waist garment) with the letter ‘M’ sewn into the waistband. It had already been recorded that one or two had the initial ‘M’ in the waistband. This was unusual but to find eight was a surprise and left me asking why they were added, and by or for who were they initialled. It is usually not museum practice to label collection items in this manner.
The letter ‘M’ in the waistbands of all but one of these piupiu is yellow, one is natural cream. They were fashioned from natural and dyed yellow harakeke (NZ flax: Phormium spp.) or naturally yellow pingao (golden sand sedge: Ficinia spiralis). It seems the fibres were softened (not scraped) and using a needle, threaded into the waistband to form the letter ‘M’ on the outer side of all eight piupiu. A knot holds it in place on the inner side of the garment.
Most of their histories were unfortunately not known or recorded upon inclusion into the museum. Just that they have been in the collection for some time, at least for 50 years. Some were also registered together so have concurrent numbers. A small group were apparently received and registered around 1962, but not much more can be found. It is estimated they were made mid 20th Century and are modern examples of piupiu waist garments.
Many large Māori events happened around the mid 1900s.[1] One possible theory as to their origins and a reason for sewing a letter into the waistband is that the piupiu belonged to members of a kapa haka (Māori cultural performance) group. The letter ‘M’ could have been sewn into the waistbands so as not to be lost or confused with piupiu belonging to other groups. The letter ‘M’ perhaps identifies the person’s initial of who made the piupiu, or it could have been the name of the kapa haka group that wore them.
Kapa haka group performing in front of Treaty House, Photograph by Brian Brake 1960. Waitangi Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. E.005378/22 Te Papa.
The piupiu registered ME012027 has a patterning described as korirangi (shining cuckoo bird) which is similar to the fine barring across the feathers of the breast and belly of the bird. These kinds of piupiu were made initially for men. The other piupiu have different variations of the korirangi patterning which originated on the East coast but is today very common. The piupiu all have simple plaited (whiri) waistbands. Several piupiu have variations of diamond patterns which are known as ‘pātiki or pātikitiki’ (ME012017 & ME012023). A type of ‘mumu’ design has also been used in ME012016.
If these piupiu look familiar, or you remember family or friends talking about their old kapa haka group please ask them to contact me if they have any information.
Hokimate Pamela Harwood- Bicultural Science Researcher, Te Papa Tongarewa
Hokimate.Harwood@tepapa.govt.nz
ME011991 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, left of centre on textile. Te Papa
ME011995 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, on textile’s right. Te Papa
ME012014 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, on textile’s left. Te Papa
ME012016 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, on textile’s left. Te Papa
ME012017 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, on textile’s left. Te Papa
ME012023 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, right of centre on textile. Te Papa
ME012027 piupiu (skirt). Cream ‘M’ on outer waistband, left of centre on textile. Te Papa
ME012427 piupiu (skirt). Yellow ‘M’ on outer waistband, on textile’s right. Te Papa
[1] Mead, Sydney. M. (1969).‘Traditional Māori Clothing: A study of technical and functional change’. Wellington: Reed. 238pp.
I’ve been asked a lot of questions about why some of the new acquisitions were pursued and why they were put into this show, so hopefully this entry will help answer some of the queries and shed light on the curatorial decisions made for Uniformity.
In my last blog Uniformity: Why Uniforms Matter, I talked about the reasons for an exhibition about uniforms. And I promised in that last blog to talk further about some of the Māori uniforms included in the show. So for the next few blogs, I’m specifically going to talk about the seven uniforms from the Mātauranga Māori collection which also happen to be brand new acquisitions for Te Papa.
Uniformity was a collaborative exhibition between the Mātauranga Māori and History collections. This meant there were two curators, Stephanie Gibson and me, working on the show and deciding on the objects for inclusion. In this blog, I’ll just talk about the seven new acquisitions and go into a bit of detail about why these uniforms were acquired and the storytelling role they each have in Uniformity.
How the exhibition is arranged
There are seven large cases in total in Uniformity, and each of these cases holds a number of uniforms grouped according to a theme. After careful consideration of the potential content and the stories we wanted to tell, the themes selected were:
Just so you aren’t still here reading in a month’s time, I’m only going to talk about uniforms included in four of the cases (the ones with the asterisks*).
In this blog I’ll talk about one of the cases mentioned above – the Military.
Military uniforms: Colour to camouflage*
Key objects from the Military Case
The historical roots of uniforms are firmly planted in Military and Ecclesiastical histories, so it is only right that the first two cases that begin the story of Uniformity exhibition focus on examples from the Military and Church.
In-situ shot of the Military Case
The Military case was a very satisfying case to work with, and it was also the case that took the most time and attention. Steph and I worked very closely with representatives from the Armed Forces – especially from the NZ Special Air Service (NZSAS) and Clive Robinson Senior Advisor Insignia and Ceremonial Items, from the New Zealand Defence Force. Clive in particular was personally recommended by Sir Jerry Mateparae to advise and consult on all matters to do with his uniform and his expertise was truly invaluable.
New Zealand military uniforms have inherited a legacy of strong traditions from European military dress. The deeply significant customs and particularities around dressing made it very important that we got everything in the case absolutely right. No detail could escape scrutiny – the correct combination of insignia, the placement of the aiguillettes on the shoulder (a trickier task than you would think), and even the buttons – were all subject to careful examination.
I believe the pains we took to make sure everything was as correct as practicable have paid off. However there are a few very small quirks unique to Sir Jerry’s uniform and his wearing preferences, which some eagle-eyed uniform experts out there might spot. But I won’t highlight them, I want to see if anyone can pick them out.
Graphics by Nick Clarkson, Te Papa 2012
From the beginning of exhibition development, the military theme was a huge influence on how the Uniformity exhibition team envisaged the show. The image above is the main graphic identity designed for the show by our Graphic Designer Nick Clarkson. You’ll see the strong silhouettes of soldier-type figures, male and female. Further, look at the bold red (which I loved from the beginning, when Nick suggested the use of it in the graphics) which reference the red in the Military case; and the use of camouflage patterning in the typography, all of these elements underline the significance of the military uniform story in the overarching show narrative.
Sir Jerry Mateparae’s CDF uniform. Photographer Michael Hall, Te Papa 2012.
Uniform gift of Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand, 2012 (ME024094)
Suit made by Albion Clothing, New Zealand; aiguillettes and sash by The Wyedean Weaving Company, England; sword by E L M Medallists, Singapore.
Made from poly-wool blend, anodised brass, gold, felt, cotton, steel, plastic.
On its own, this splendid uniform even without any mention of its very famous donor is remarkable enough. It is a wonderful example of khaki Service Dress, with accompanying regalia and insignia to demonstrate the wearer’s service history, and that he is of exceptionally high rank.
Between 1 May 2006 – 24 January 2011, His Excellency Lt Gen The Right Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM, QSO (Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu), served as the Chief of Defence of the New Zealand Defence Forces, a remarkable epoch in a long military career. Enlisting in 1972, Sir Jerry rose through the ranks to become the first Māori Chief of Defence in the history of the military – the highest commanding appointment possible in the defence forces – in 2011. At the conclusion of his service as Chief of Defence, he was subsequently appointed as Governor General, the second Māori to be so – a role he continues to perform.
His Excellency Lt Gen The Right Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM, QSO (Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu). Photographer Simon Woolf, image courtesy of Government House, 2011.
This uniform that you see here is a Ceremonial Service Dress All Ranks uniform. Known as a Ceremonial 1A, it is worn by all ranks of the NZ Army on formal occasions and directly influenced by the khaki British Army service dress adopted by the New Zealand Army in the early 20th century.
This uniform consists of long dress trousers, a short sleeved shirt and tie, and the service dress jacket. The trousers and jacket are made from polywool, by Albion Clothing in Christchurch. There are two patch pockets with box pleats on the breast, and two bellows pockets on the lower part of the jacket (called the skirt). The anodised brass buttons are removable and feature the words ‘New Zealand Defence’ with the 4 stars of the Southern Cross.
While this uniform was issued to All Ranks, there are a number of specific symbols on this uniform – on the breast, shoulders and upper arm – which distinguishes Sir Jerry’s very high rank and the corps to which he belonged or commanded.
Close up: Ceremonial Sash with kowhaiwhai patterning
And do you also note the use of Māori kōwhaiwhai design on the waist sash? Sashes are very old elements of military dress, which also signify rank. The incorporation of Māori motifs into the uniform references a strong Māori identity present within the New Zealand Army culture. As this quote from the NZ Army website reveals: “The unique culture of the New Zealand Army has been shaped and defined by a range of complementary influences. These include the martial traditions of the British soldier and the Maori warrior; our history, heritage and experience of war; and the characteristics of wider New Zealand society.” In the sash, you see the two distinctive cultural expressions brought together – the sash form and the kowhaiwhai patterning – creating a new uniform element which is now unique to the NZ Army.
NZ Army Badge. From http://www.army.mil.nz/culture-and-history/nz-army-culture/badge.htm
This strong Maori identity is further observed in the NZ Army badge, a Herald of Arms that shows an officer’s sword crossed with a taiaha kura. When you come visit the exhibition, you can see a taiaha kura in the military case. One other interesting facet to the taiaha kura is the use of red cloth to form the tauri (collar) of the taiaha kura included in the show, as well as awe or Maori dog hair tassels. Ordinarily kākā feathers would have been used to create the tauri, as in this example but some tauri from the mid century were said to have used the red cloth from soldiers’ red-coats. These examples are however very rare.
There are a number of additional elements that we added to Sir Jerry’s uniform in order for the visitor to see how he would have dressed as Chief of Defence at very formal occasions. These elements have been borrowed from the New Zealand Defence Force. The Lemon Squeezer with its puggaree and hat badge, the aiguillette, the general officer’s sword and leather gloves, the medals and the ceremonial sash, have all been borrowed and I hope to acquire them permanently, so we can always be able to see Sir Jerry’s uniform dressed this gloriously.
Photographer Michael Hall, Te Papa 2012.
When His Excellency Sir Jerry agreed to gift this uniform to Te Papa Tongarewa, it was cause for a bit of celebration among some of the curators. His status and the significant life achievements of Sir Jerry mean that he is a part of New Zealand history and his uniform will be able to tell his story for future visitors to Te Papa.
Please take your time to look at this ‘decoding’ graphic that was produced by the Uniformity exhibition team, which helps the visitor to understand what some of the components of the uniform represent.
My sincere thanks to History Curators, Stephanie Gibson and Michael Fitzgerald for their expertise and for reviewing this entry.
Graphic for Sir Jerry’s uniform. Te Papa 2012.
The Spade-toothed whale Mesoplodon traversii, is now known from 5 specimens, three of which are housed at Te Papa. With only one of these specimens a complete skeleton, the species is as rare as they come – even among beaked whales – the most elusive of all the world’s whales.
Whales are special taonga, particularly for coastal iwi and this relationship is acknowledged in both the way the Department of Conservation deals with whale strandings and the manner in which specimens are collected by Te Papa. Te Papa does not collect specimens without the agreement of the relevant iwi authority. With regard to the cow and calf pair of Spade-tooth whales reported on in the latest Current Biology article, Te Papa worked with the Department of Conservation and the Whakatohea Iwi Maori Trust Board. Ngai Tama Haua hapu hosted Te Papa staff and members of the iwi gave considerable help and time in the recovery of the specimens from the beach at Opape.
Anton van Helden Te Papa’s Marine Mammal Collection Manager with DOC staff and local iwi uncovering the adult female Spade-tooth whale skeleton. Copyright Te Papa
The value of a collaborative effort in collecting data and specimens goes back a long way with Te Papa (originally the Colonial Museum). From the earliest days of the museum the collection of data and specimens from marine mammals found on New Zealand’s coastline has been very important. Te Papa houses one of the largest and most significant collections of marine mammals in the world. An early collector for the Museum H. H. Travers, after who the species is named, collected a lower jaw with its two prominent tusk teeth from Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands in 1872. In 2002 the teeth of this specimen (the holotype of the species) had three tiny holes drilled into them yielding enough genetic material for the DNA to be analysed. This enabled us to confirm the species as distinct and unique. That the extraction of the DNA happened about 130 years after its collection helps us to see the value in housing these specimens in perpetuity in a museum.
Te Papa continues to collaborate with other research institutions to further the knowledge on the biodiversity of our country and its surrounding oceans. NZCeTA or New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive, is where the DNA from skin collected from stranded dead whales is archived at the University of Auckland. Whilst Te Papa has contributed to this over the years along with the Department of Conservation who deal with the strandings initially. So the tissue archive is supported by Te Papa’s archive of skeletons, preserved tissues, stranding data and images which support each other as a reference for the molecular and morphological comparison that underpins the determination of the species we have in our waters.
The skeletons have been cleaned here at Te Papa and it is the intention that they will join the holotype as part of Te Papa’s beaked whale collection.
It is an important aspect of our work that we involve the iwi in the ongoing relationship with their taonga that remain at Te Papa. In many instances this will involve the whales being given names by their iwi and that their story is archived along with the specimens so that their relationship is maintained in perpetuity.
Recently the Kaumatua from Whakatohea visited Te Papa and came and spent time with their whales. This was a very moving experience for me, but also was a way for the iwi to feel comfortable about where their taonga are resting and that they are being cared for appropriately. We are still working through the agreement around these whales to build a partnership that will grow our knowledge of these whales, the species and bring together the values of the museum and the iwi to enrich the stories that we can all share about these rare and remarkable animals.
Whakatohea Iwi visit Te Papa and their tohorä, copyright Matua Piki Amoamo photographer for Whakatohea Maori Trust Board
Most curators will be able to pick out an exhibition in their professional history that they are very fond of. And I think the exhibition I’m going to talk about in this blog is one show that will always be a bit close to my heart.
On the 27th of Sept 2012, an exhibition opened here Te Papa, in our Eyelights Gallery on Level Four – an exhibition called Uniformity: cracking the dress code. While an exhibition opening here at the museum isn’t all that unique, shows open and close here all the time, there are a number of unique attributes that Uniformity has in its favour which pick it out from the crowd.
First it’s the first collaborative exhibition between the Matauranga Maori and History teams for the Eyelights gallery, which is an exciting milestone for Te Papa trainspotters like me. But more interestingly for all you well-adjusted museum-going individuals out there, there are a number of brand new acquisitions which feature on the floor for the first time (which will be talked about in the next blog).
So why uniforms? Well, they have an unusual ability to melt into the background so you don’t notice them but they are everywhere. On a personal level, many of us have experiences (happy or unhappy) wearing uniforms. They would have identified to the rest of the world what school you went to or your place of work. But at a national level, uniforms are important records of our country’s social history. They can record organisations, allegiances, status, social movements, fashion/anti-fashion, identities, cultural shifts and beliefs. Te Papa has collected many examples of different uniforms from across New Zealand history span, so their importance in remembering New Zealand’s history is vital.
So come down to Te Papa sometime soon and take a look around the Eyelights Gallery. We hope that the show makes you take a second look at some of the old uniforms that may still be lurking in the back of your closets, stitching together your own personal history.
In the next blog, I’ll be focusing on some of the uniforms that I acquired for the Te Papa’s Maori collection and explain in a bit more depth, the reasons behind their inclusion in the collection and the exhibition.
The Honorable Mita Ririnui in his Āpotoro Rehita robes from the Rātana Church. Photograph by Michael Hall, Te Papa Tongarewa 2012.
Two weeks ago I was in Shanghai for the opening of the exhibition Meridian Lines: Contemporary Art from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa at the China Art Museum with artist Yuk King Tan and Wen Powles, Te Papa’s International Strategy Advisor.
The China Art Museum is the new home of the Shanghai Art Museum, which has relocated to the China Pavilion from the 2010 World Expo.
The China Art Museum in Shanghai. Photo: Hutch Wilco, Te Papa
As part of their re-opening celebrations, the China Art Museum invited several international museums to contribute exhibitions from their collections. The other museums included the British Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Victor Hugo Museum and the National Council for Culture and the Arts of Mexico.
While many of these institutions selected important historical works from their collections, we decided to present a selection of contemporary art from New Zealand. Meridian Lines includes works by Bill Hammond, Ralph Hotere, Ani O’Neill, Michael Parekowhai, John Pule, Yuk King Tan and Gordon Walters.
Here’s a glimpse at our exhibition…
From left to right, artworks by Yuk King Tan, Ralph Hotere and Gordon Walters. Photo: Hutch Wilco, Te Papa
The response to the exhibition was really quite overwhelming with a strong level of interest from both the local Chinese and other international visitors. Yuk King Tan’s work was reproduced on the second page of the English language South China Morning Post newspaper and one morning I discovered the show being featured on a Chinese television station.
Yuk King Tan’s work featured in the ‘South China Morning Post’, 2 October 2012.
The China Art Museum anticipates that approximately half a million people will visit the museum by the end of the year, when our exhibition closes.
Listen to Mary Kisler discussing the exhibition with Kim Hill on Radio New Zealand National.
Sarah Farrar
Curator of Contemporary Art
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is coming to Gisborne! The Education and Discovery Centre teams will be based at Tairawhiti Museum for a week of exciting art workshops and learning programmes. Schools in the Gisborne area are taking part in free hands-on workshops, exploring kākahu (cloaks), taonga (treasures) and their connection to the area of Gisborne. Two large artworks, in the form of cloaks, will be created by the students, using digital photography and mixed media. The cloaks will be on display at Tairawhiti Museum and then at Te Papa in Wellington for thousands of visitors to see.
The education staff at Tairawhiti Museum. Aaron Compton and Jen Pewhairangi. Courtesy of Dudley Meadows, Tairawhiti Museum.
Joining the team is Te Papa educator Khali Philip-Barbara, who is no stranger to the Gisborne community. Having grown up in Gisborne, Khali is excited to be returning to her roots to work with local students, extending Te Papa’s reach beyond the Wellington Region. The Te Papa team come from a variety of backgrounds, including Wellington, Sweden, Ruatoki, the Pacific Islands and Gisborne.
The Gisborne Outreach Team (from top left, clockwise) Ati Teepa, Herbert Bartley, Khali Philip-Barbara, Kim Gustavsson, displaying their favourite taonga.
Added to the mix is gifted master carver Anaru Rondon from The Bay of Plenty Matata. Anaru is offering a workshop that will give people a rare chance at making traditional tools using customary methods.
For more information contact Tairawhiti Museum or Te Papa’s Education Team.
Te Papa will be based at Tairawhiti Museum from 17 – 21 September. This is part of Te Papa’s annual national outreach programme. Te Papa wish to thank the staff at Tairawhiti Museum for their support of this programme.
