Last week we were privileged to have Rod and Bev Ewins visit the Pacific Cultures Collections. Te Papa is on a list of New Zealand and Australian museums the couple are visiting as they research collections for a new book on the material culture of Fiji. Rod is a scholar and artistRead more
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, masterRead more
To celebrate le vaiaso o le gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan language week) the Pacific Cultures curators are highlighting stories related to cultural treasures from Sāmoa. This image of Lauaki Namulau’ulu Mamoe (b. 1850s? – d. 1915) taken by photographer Thomas Andrew is dated 1909. This was the same year Lauaki wasRead more
To celebrate le vaiaso o le gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan language week) the Pacific Cultures curators are highlighting stories related to cultural treasures from Sāmoa. Senior Curator, Pacific Histories and Cultures Sean Mallon talks about the ‘alia. In the 1800s, the most prized and finely crafted sea going vessels were ‘alia.Read more
To celebrate le vaiaso o le gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan language week) the Pacific Cultures curators are highlighting stories related to cultural treasures from Sāmoa. Selu la‘au or selu pau as it is commonly known, were ornamental carved wooden combs made from the late 1800s using metal tools. A variety ofRead more
To celebrate le vaiaso o le gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan language week) the Pacific Cultures curators are highlighting stories related to cultural treasures from Sāmoa. The third collection item for this week is a nōfoaga seu lupe (pigeon netting stool) that was used in the 1800s for the sport of pigeonRead more
To celebrate le vaiaso o le gagana Sāmoa (Sāmoan language week) I have decided to draw attention to a small handbook which was gifted to the museum in 1954. The front cover of this handbook indicates that it was presented to Mr and Mrs D A J Rutherford in 1936.Read more
A few months ago we received a rather unusual loan request, on the surface the request looked quite straight forward however on closer inspection it was going to be rather challenging. First of all the Community Mafutaga Tupulaga Tokelau Porirua had asked if they could borrow some of the TokelauanRead more
Aotearoa New Zealand is home to a large Pasifika population. This illustrated collection of essays is the first of its kind to tell their stories – from the legendary feats of the ancestors of modern Māori, to the politically explosive dawn raids of the 1970s, and beyond. This beautiful book is lavishlyRead more
One of the most rewarding stages of the treatment is the varnishing of the painting. The new varnish layer returns the colours of the painting to the saturation and depth which were intended by the artist and it is when we feel like we are on the home stretch ofRead more
For the opening reception of the refreshed Te Papa art exhibition Collecting Contemporary held on February 22 2012, Taualuga: The Last Dance, 2006, a performance work by Samoan/Japanese artist Shigeyuki Kihara was presented. Staged in the gallery where the Collecting Contemporary exhibition is displayed, the performance was realised alongside theRead more
We have had a very busy start to 2012, we have been working to have Poedua ready for display in March and preparing a number of paintings for the upcoming touring exhibition Angels and Aristocrats. After the painting was re-stretched following the structural treatment, the old restorations including overpaintRead more
The varnish removal is finally complete! The detail of the brushwork in the Poedua’s face and hair have been revealed and we are one step closer to getting this painting ready for display. During the varnish removal we discovered a damage on the stretcher which meant that we needed toRead more
Hello. Matthew O’Reilly, Framer of Paintings, returning to the subject of Poedua, and particularly, her lovely frame. This is my second post about the conservation of the frame. The first one was in June, and it dealt with understanding the frame and its history well enough, and identifying the questions to beRead more
The varnish removal of Poedua is progressing slowly and painstakingly and we are now almost halfway through this important part of the treatment. As we have mentioned before, removal of discoloured varnish can have a dramatic effect on the overall balance, colour and depth of a painting. Because discoloured varnishesRead more
