Te Papa Conservator Robert Clendon removes Phar Lap’s skull from the rest of the skeleton, before extracting one of the incisor teeth. Photo Jean-Claude Stahl. © Te Papa.

Earlier this year, Te Papa received a request from scientists in Australia for a tooth sample from legendary race horse Phar Lap. The scientists are hoping to extract DNA from the tooth.  Then they will be able to compare Phar Lap’s DNA with other horses. Press release from the scientistsRead more

By:
On:
In: Science
Georgina shows off her work. Photographer: Melanie Dash © Te Papa

Melanie Dash, one of our audience engagement team, travelled to the South Island to work with schools on our Wonder Box project. Students get the chance to have their work displayed at Te Papa. Find out what Melanie and the students got up to… 14 May 2013 – You’re the curator! It’s aRead more

By:
On:
In: Education

Science, Library Services and Managing Risk to our Collections You may have seen the story about Te Papa on Campbell Live on Monday night which questioned our commitment to Science, and the future of our collections. Some of the points made in the story were misleading and inaccurate and this communicationRead more

By:
On:
In: Behind the scenes

There’s been some publicity about Te Papa lately and in particular our commitment to science and the future of the National Collections.  Just so we’re all clear, here are the facts. Te Papa’s commitment to science hasn’t changed, in fact we are strengthening it.  We have not reduced our numbersRead more

By:
On:
In: Behind the scenes
Three Kings Expedition collects yellow weever, Parapercis gilliesi (family Pinguipedidae), a new record for the area, 13 April 2013. Te Papa

By Clive Roberts The Te Papa fish team currently has two members participating in the Three Kings Islands Marine Expedition. Skilled in fieldwork techniques, collecting, photographing and preserving fishes, Vincent Zintzen and Jeremy Barker are busy underwater surveying and sampling fishes, invertebrates and algae with colleagues during the day, andRead more

By:
On:
In: Science

Last weekend, on Saturday the 13th April 2013, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam reopened to the public after a decade of renovations. Imagine that, ten years to perfect your vision and build a new experience for the visitor from the ground up. The Rijksmuseum is an iconic art museum that isRead more

By:
On:
In: Art

人形项饰-海蒂基远涉重洋来到中国这个古老的玉文化国度 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。Read more

By:
On:
In: Māori

When Te Papa purchased Easy Chair two years ago, we acquired it for its associations with modernism and with the Auckland store jon jansen. But we wanted to verify the designer. Detailed research – surveying design publications, comparing similar chairs, identifying woods – finally led me to the original SwedishRead more

By:
On:
In: Art, History

Veranoa Hetet and her group of weavers Te Rōpu Miro have been the weavers in residence for the  Kahu Ora Living Cloaks exhibition for the last few weeks. Time goes so fast and it’s hard to believe this will be their last weekend at Te Papa, as they finish on Sunday 2 September. Veranoa and herRead more

By:
On:
In: Māori

by Becs Thomas, Assistant Head Teacher, Tai Tamariki Kindergarten The experience of having Tai Tamariki Kindergarten children’s kākahu displayed in Kahu Ora Living Cloaks has been a wonderful learning journey for our kindergarten community, both culturally and in the learning of exhibition protocol and process. This week the second of ourRead more

By:
On:
In: Education, Māori
Matthew McIntyre-Wilson. Photograph by Matariki Williams. Te Papa.

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 veryRead more

By:
On:
In: Māori
Donna Head, Kohai Grace and Clare Butler. Photograph by Pamela Lovis

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) sewnRead more

By:
On:
In: Māori