Taonga on display after 128 years
Pictured above: Pukenga members John Waaka, Miriama Searancke and Anaru Rangiheuea with historical Te Arawa pare, Rotorua Museum.
An historic Te Arawa pare (carved door lintel) which was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1886 is back home after 128 years and on display at Rotorua Museum.
The pare is thought to be Ngāti Tarāwhai from the late 1800s, the time of master carver Wero Tāroi.
Yesterday members of the Rotorua Museum Pukenga Kōeke blessed the taonga (treasure) at the Museum where it is now on display in the Ngā Pūmanawa o Te Arawa exhibition.
Pukenga member, Anaru Rangiheuea says it is good to have the pare back with Te Arawa again, showcasing the talent of the master carvers of the time.
In 1886 the pare was gifted by the New Zealand Government to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and was later passed to the Commonwealth Institute in London. When the institute closed in 2002 the pare transferred by Deed of Gift to the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum (BECM). In 2009, a number of items, including the pare, were deaccessioned from the BECM and sold to an antiques dealer. After changing hands several more times the pare was eventually sold to a private collector in New Zealand.
Staff from Rotorua Museum, Rotorua Lakes Council, Te Papa, and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, as well as Trustees of the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, were involved in facilitating the return of the pare to Te Arawa in December 2012.
After consultation over the long term care of this taonga three trustees have been appointed from the Museum's Pukenga Kōeke, and have entrusted its care and display to Rotorua Museum.
Museum Director, Stewart Brown, said he was delighted to have the pare on show 128 years after it left New Zealand. It is important that Te Arawa and all New Zealanders are able to view these precious taonga.