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The Maori Sail: Te Ra
The only surviving customary Māori sail is now back Aotearoa.
The only surviving customary Māori sail is now back in Aotearoa.
Te Rā, which is in the collection of the British Museum. was welcomed back to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna Waiwhetū, on Saturday.
Tamahou Temara, the tumu whakarae for Toi Māori Aotearoa, says the 200-year-old sail is an archive of mātauranga Māori and demonstrates expert knowledge in weaving and sailing along with a command of the natural environment.
He says Te Rā is an inspiration to Māori artists who work in different art forms.
The sail is on display in Otautahi until October and will then be exhibited at Auckland War Memorial Museum before being returned to the United Kingdom.
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