“Dear friends, may this beautiful instrument bring you happiness and inspiration. All my love, Lili Kraus, London, Christmas 1959.” So read the handwritten inscription in the piano Michael Parekowhai obtained for On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer currently on display at Te Papa. In the museum’s collection there are photographs of Lili takenRead more
This week is Tongan Language Week – Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga. This is the second blog post for this week where the Pacific Cultures team highlight collection items that relate to Tongan language and culture. This is a kumete, a wooden bowl used in Tongan communities for the preparationRead more
This week is Tongan Language Week – Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga. Over the next five days the Pacific Cultures team will be blogging about collection items from Tonga that relate to Tongan language and culture. The week is promoted by the Aotearoa Tongan Teachers Association in partnership with theRead more
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
98 years ago New Zealand troops land at Apia, German Samoa (29 August 1914) Ten days after New Zealand entered the war in Europe, it sent troops to occupy German Samoa. This force of almost 1400 men was specifically charged with seizing the colony’s wireless transmitter. The troops that landed atRead more
Wi Tako Ngatata ME023859; Writing Compendium [presented to Wi Tako Ngatata] This writing slope belonged to Wi Tako Ngātata, one of Wellington’s most influential tribal leaders during the early colonial period. It commemorates his appointment to the New Zealand Legislative Council. Wi Tako (with Mokena Kohere, Ngāti Porou) was the first Māori toRead more
Michael Parekowhai’s Venice Biennale exhibition On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer opened at Te Papa on Friday. The installation looks stunning, clustered in the middle of the space and the sound with the acoustics of the gallery with that high ceiling is wonderful. The exhibition is only on for aRead more
In the past, this was a dedicated whare, or house, where aspects of the fine arts of Māori weaving were taught. Today, ‘Te Whare Pora’ is more of a state of mind of an expert senior weaver, who carries or embodies the values, skills and knowledge of this discipline, aRead more
Perhaps you know where some of the photographs below were taken? If you can help, please note the number related to each image with your comment below. Click on the images to enable enlargement. 1) Its summer here… 2) North Island wharf 3) Is it Otago harbour? And if so,Read more
Today, two rare species of forget-me-nots have been added to the Flora of New Zealand. These new species were discovered during an expedition I led to Kahurangi National Park, one of the hotspot for forget-me-nots diversity in New Zealand. These new species, Myosotis chaffeyorum (Chaffey’s Forget-me-not) and Myosotis mooreana (Moore’s forget-me-not) are described and illustratedRead more
When we think about about orchids we usually think about tropical islands or unexplored jungle-covered mountains in distant lands. This is not always the case, and many orchids are also found in temperate and cold regions of the world. Some orchids have even reached the Subantarctic islands where, not so long ago,Read more
After being away from work for over two months it was such a joy to see the Kahu Ora exhibition again. Over 48,000 people have visited so far in the two and a half months since its opening. That’s really amazing. One of the aims of this exhibition was to bringRead more
In my last post I touched on the shipwreck of the Dundonald on Disappointment Island in 1907, and the rescue of its survivors by the Hinemoa when she was taking scientists to the Auckland Islands. The Auckland Islands were on a major shipping route, but the available charts were not always accurate,Read more
The Amazon Softball Club, the first and last lesbian softball club in New Zealand, has kindly donated a selection of team uniforms and ephemera to Te Papa. The Amazons formed at the height of gay liberation in 1977. The Wellington based club provided a space for lesbians to socialise, findRead more
Today’s post is the last in our blog series for Cook Islands language week (6-8 August). I have decided to look at a variety of ‘ei taomi pare (hatbands) from the Pacific Cultures collection. Usually ‘ei taomi pare are placed on a hat around the crown area. These ‘ei are separated fromRead more
