Taiaha kura (chief's long fighting staff) called Te Rongotaketake
Lent by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Special Exhibition Gallery 1 & 2
January 23, 2007 (Tue) - March 18, 2007 (Sun)
Features the art of Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.This will be the first major exhibition in Japan to introduce the culture and arts of Maori.
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| Period | Tuesday, January 23 - Sunday, March 18, 2007 | ||||
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| Venue | Heiseikan, Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park) | ||||
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| Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing) |
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| Closed | Mondays except February 12 (National Holiday); Tuesday, February 13 | ||||
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| Admissions | Adults 600 (500)yen University Students 400 (300)yen High school students and under: free Persons over 70: free (please show proof of age upon entry)
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| Access | 10 minutes' walk from JR Ueno Station (Park exit) and Uguisudani Station 15 minutes' walk from Keisei Ueno Station, Tokyo Metro Ueno station (Ginza line, Hibiya line) and Tokyo Metro Nezu station (Chiyoda line) |
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| Organized by | Tokyo National Museum, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa | ||||
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| With the Support of | New Zealand Embassy, Tourism New Zealand (www.newzealand.com) | ||||
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| With the Sponsorship of | Toyota Transportation Co., Ltd., Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. | ||||
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| With the Cooperation of | Air New Zealand(www.airnewzealand.com), Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. | ||||
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| General Inquiries | 03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial : in Japanese) | ||||
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| Related lecture |
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| Commemorative lecture (in Japanese) | ||||
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Where Did the Maori People Come from? by Intoh Michiko (Professor, Department of Social Research) Auditorium, Heiseikan Saturday, February 3, 2007 at 13:30 - 15:00 |
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Lectures Held Jointly with The Japan Society for New Zealand Studies (in Japanese) | |||
| Auditorium, Heiseikan Saturday, February 10, 2007 at 13:30 - 15:00 Maori's Koru —the Spiral Motif that Represents Connections between the Past and Future— by Naito Kyoko (Professor, Musashi University) The World of Whale Rider by Sawada Shinichi (Associate professor, Hirosaki University) |
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| Film viewing | ||||
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Auditorium, Heiseikan February 6-9, 11, 12, 2007 10:30/14:30 (with Japanese subtitles) *Free with Museum admission A story of an adolescent Maori girl's challenge and triumph of living the tribal tradition. Directed by Niki Caro, Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes; Based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera.
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| Workshops |
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Maori Designs Orientation Room, Heiseikan Tuesday, January 23 - Sunday, March 18, 2007 *Recommended for High school students and under *Free with Museum admission Learn about the meanings of Maori designs to feel and understand the expressions, narratives and the stories of the Maori and their ancestors.
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| Other Exhibitions |
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Prized Treasures of Chinese Art — from The National Museum of China Heiseikan, Special Exhibition Gallery 3 & 4 Tuesday, January 2 - Sunday, February 25, 2007 |
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New Year's Celebration at the Tokyo National Museum Tuesday, January 2 - Sunday, January 28, 2007 *Free with Museum admission Celebrating the New Year 2007, the Tokyo National Museum will open from January 2. The New Year exhibition will feature the year's zodiac sign boar, and the museum will host various family events.
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| Major Works on Display |
*All works are lent by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |
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Shark-tooth necklace Nga Kakano or Te Tipunga, 1100 - 1500 Ngati Hei, Ngati Whanaunga From Opito Beach, Coromandel region; Made of shark teeth The great white shark (also regarded as a supernatural being) is known as mango taniwha. It is admired by Maori for its legendary qualities of strength, speed and ferocity. Maori made necklaces out of bone, stone, and shell as well as teeth. A shark-tooth necklace of this kind was rare. |
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Ngarara (lizard) pendant Nga Kakano or Te Tipunga, 1100 - 1500 Iwi (tribe) unknown; From Gisborne region; Made of whale bone This ngarara (lizard) is made of whale bone. An ornament shaped like an animal was believed to have the mauri (spiritual qualities) of the animal it represented. Ornaments in animal form are very rare, both in New Zealand and in the tropical Pacific islands from which the ancestors of Maori come. |
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Tauihu (canoe prow) Late Te Puawaitanga or early Te Huringa I, 1500 - 1900 Ngati Toa (attributed); From lower North Island; Made of wood, paua shell At the tauihu's top is the peaked head and protruding tongue of a human form. Two large carved spirals behind the head represent the parent deities of the Maori creation story, Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatuanuku (the earth mother). These tauihu became tribal heirlooms, passing from generation to generation. |
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Pou tokomanawa (male post figure) Te Huringa I, 1800 - 1900 Ngati Kahungunu From Wairoa region; Made of totara wood, paint Pou tokomanawa (central support posts) stand in the center of a meeting house. They extend up to the ridge pole which supports the roof. Many Pou tokomanawa have a male or female ancestor carved at the base. The female Pou tokomanawa symbolizes the power to give birth and sustain life. The male figure emphasizes the power of procreation. One hand grips his genitals, while the pendant around his neck links him to his ancestors. |
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Pataka (storehouse) Te Huringa I, 1839 Ngati Pikiao Carved by Te Metara and others; Made of totara wood, paua shell Food and precious objects were stored in the pataka. Carvings that exemplify the link to ancestors were elaborated on the building. In the exhibition, a pataka and wharenui (meeting house) will be built to represent the Maori atmosphere. |
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Toki poutangata (ceremonial adze) Te Puawaitanga or early Te Huringa I, 1500 - 1900 Iwi (tribe) unknown; Made of wood, pounamu (New Zealand jade), fiber When a meeting house was to be built, a large tree was felled for the ridge pole. A chief might use a toki poutangata to make the ritual first cut. The chief wielded the toki as a symbol of his authority and tribal leadership. Toki poutangata are made of the finest materials. They are tribal heirlooms, given personal names, and sometimes credited with spiritual powers.
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Matau (fish hook) Te Huringa I, 1800 - 1900 Iwi (tribe) unknown; Made of paua shell, wood, fiber Matau have been expertly fashioned from wood, bone, shell, and New Zealand flax fiber. The care with which they have been made indicates their importance. |
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Taiaha kura (chief's long fighting staff) called Te Rongotaketake Early Te Huringa I, 1800 - 1900 Ngati Ira Kai Putahi Made of wood, kaka feathers, dog hair, flax fiber, rushes, paua shell The red parrot feathers and white dog hair mark this as the weapon of a chief. It has a personal name, Te Rongotaketake. Weapons of great status were sometimes exchanged to seal peace arrangements. This taiaha was passed between two Maori tribes in about 1819. Around 1847 it was again gifted as a symbol of peace, this time to a senior officer in the New Zealand colonial police force.
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Mere pounamu (New Zealand jade weapon) called Tawhito Whenua Te Puawaitanga, 1500 - 1800 Muaupoko, Ngati Ira, Ngati Toa, Ngati Kahungunu Made of pounamu (New Zealand jade) This old and famous mere pounamu has the personal name Tawhito Whenua and in the early 1800s was owned by Te Kekerengu, a rangatira (chief) of the Ngati Ira tribe. During inter-tribal fighting, Ngati Toa chief Te Rangihaeata captured Te Kekerengu and his mother. As they were about to be executed, this chiefly woman sang a song of farewell to her ancestral lands. Her song was so moving that Te Rangihaeata spared both her son's life and hers.In gratitude, Te Kekerengu presented Te Rangihaeata with this mere.
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Kahu kuri (dog skin cloak) Te Huringa I, 1800 - 1900 Te Ati Awa (attributed); Made of flax fiber, dog skin strips This magnificent cloak is made from strips of skin taken from the kuri (Pacific dog). The strips were arranged by hair color, then sewn with painstaking precision to a foundation of tightly woven New Zealand flax fiber. Each Kahu kuri had its own personal name and carefully preserved history. On ceremonial occasions these cloaks were often exchanged between people of rank, in recognition of the high status of both giver and receiver. |
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Kahu huruhuru (feather cloak) Te Huringa I, 1800 - 1900 Tuhoe; Made of flax fiber, kereru, tui, and kaka feathers Deposited 1899, as part of the Elsdon Best Collection The vivid pattern of this kahu huruhuru comes from feathers of native New Zealand birds. The green and white feathers are from the kekeru (wood pigeon), while the red and orange feathers are from the kaka, a forest parrot. |
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Hei tiki (neck pendant in human form) Te Puawaitanga, 1500 - 1800 Iwi (tribe) unknown; Made of pounamu (New Zealand jade), paua shell, pigment The most distinctive type of Maori neck pendants take the form of a highly stylized human figure called the tiki. Hei tiki are among the most valued of all Maori ornaments. Those who wear a hei tiki carry with them the stories of ancestors who made the tiki and who wore it before them. They are finely carved in pounamu (New Zealand jade), a hard, durable, and beautiful stone. |
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Heru (ornamental comb) Te Puawaitanga, 1500 - 1800 Iwi (tribe) unknown Made of whale bone, paua shell Long hair was high fashion for chiefly Maori men at that time. The hair was oiled, braided, coiled on the head in a topknot, and embellished with bird feathers and heru. Heru were an indication of status and authority. Like any personal objects associated with the sacred head area, they were carefully kept away from any casual handling. |
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