Celebrating the second edition of ‘Whatu Kākahu: Māori Cloaks’
Awhina shares her journey and allows us an insight into the collaborative approach that she took to develop this important book.Read more
Awhina shares her journey and allows us an insight into the collaborative approach that she took to develop this important book.Read more
In a collaboration between National Services Te Paerangi and Whanganui Regional Museum, Te Papa’s bicultural researcher Hokimate Harwood brought her extensive feather identification skills to a community of 30 weavers and bird enthusiasts earlier this year. Hokimate’s feather identification research looks to decode materials and messages within kākahu | featherRead more
Ngā rau kura – Precious feathers In 2007 I identified the birds in Te Papa’s Māori cloaks using microscopic analyses of feather down and museum bird skin comparisons. My findings have provided a deeper knowledge of the museum’s natural history and Māori collections but also an appreciation and understanding ofRead more
One of the core roles of Te Papa is to continue to acquire taonga that enhance and add-value to its existing collections. And with more than 30,000 individual items in the Matauranga Māori collections, Te Papa’s collections are considerable. And even though a considerable number of that total is madeRead 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
When taonga are brought out of the stores and into the light, they have a transformative power on their descendants. This tangible feeling is elicited immediately when you enter Kahu Ora: Living Cloaks. At the opening of the exhibition, I entered the gallery to the sound of karakia reverberating aroundRead more
The scholarship, creativity, professionalism, enthusiasm, commitment and sheer hard work of the Kahu Ora: Living Cloaks team came to fruition today in the VISA gallery, and tomorrow will be on view to the public. It’s a very beautiful exhibition, and visitors will love to be transported into Te WhareRead more
© Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 2023