These battle shields from Chimbu (Simbu) in the Papua New Guinea Highlands were collected by a New Zealand couple who spent nearly a decade teaching in the country until their return to New Zealand in 2009. The shields are significant for their cultural value and use in warfare among theRead more
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
As an art conservation student, I was frequently encouraged by my tutors to think of my profession as a three-legged stool—a platform supported by the three disciplines of connoisseurship, fine arts, and science. Understanding the science of how materials age is critical for being able to slow down deterioration. In addition,Read more
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
I’ve been enjoying our scientists’ fieldwork posts. We have scientists’ photographs from several historic field trips in the photography collection. My favourites are in this photo album from the 1907 Expedition to the Subantarctic Islands. The Expedition was initiated by the Canterbury Philosophical Institute with support from the Government, andRead more
This is the third day of the Festival and there are way too many things and sights to properly explain. I can only give samples and highlights, and even these are too numerous to do it justice. The NZ delegation has jumped into action, performing and creating. The Festival villageRead more
In my previous post about the Fiji collections, I included a few images of Fijian weapons from Te Papa’s collections. In this blog post I thought I’d take the Fiji weapon story a bit further and into popular culture. Here, I just want to highlight the small contribution Fiji weapons offered toRead more
Every four years, an enormous event called the Festival of Pacific Arts is held in a different part of the Pacific. It is one of the most significant pan-Pacific gatherings where island nations from across Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia meet to share their arts – customary and contemporary – andRead more
25 years ago the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act is passed (8 June 1987). This legislation was a flash point in the history of New Zealand’s international relations. It derailed New Zealand’s defence alliance with the USA and Australia known as Anzus. The Anzus Treaty,Read more
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 aRead more
Ruatepupuke II at the Field Museum Chicago In November 1992 Arapata Hakiwai was in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago helping to re-install the Nāgti Porou whare whakairo Ruatepupuke II. Ruatepupuke II is an early example of East Coast carving that is unusual for its fully carved frontRead more
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
This year I went on several field trips to collect native forget-me-nots (genus Myosotis). With my research on native plantains now finished, my current research focus is now to figure out how many native species of forget-me-nots we have in New Zealand, revise their taxonomy, understand their evolutionary history, andRead more
Which vegetables do you think have charisma? In Tuesday night’s television programme Radar Across The Pacific, comedian Te Radar was given “fiddle fern” to eat. He seemed to be impressed by it, describing it as having charisma. Te Radar was eating the young, unfurling fronds of a fern. These still-coiledRead more
Here are a few, token animal photos to finish this account of our fieldwork. Other blog posts about our West Coast fern fieldwork cover: What we were doing. Where we went. Sticherus (umbrella ferns). New, problematic, and interesting species. Favourite photos.Read more
