Watercolor of Tattooed Maori Men
Item
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Title
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Watercolor of Tattooed Maori Men
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Description
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The hunchbacked person to the right in this powerful picture has a koru loop going up and down by his ear. He is a tohunga of the upper and lower way with his moko identifying him as Te Wairoa, a paramount chief of the Tuhoe and Taranaki tribes. This portrait also shows a good example of buttock tattoo prevalent in some areas at this time. The center man is of a higher rank with a forehead design and can be identified as Waaka Putere of Ngat Kahungunu and Tuwharetoa. Here he is depicted with a jade hei tiki around his neck. The man holding the taiaha is Tainui Hawea of Tranaki and Tuhoe; he has five forehead rays on one side, six on the other.
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Creator
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Joseph Jenner Merrett
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Source
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Collection of Mark and Carolyn Blackburn.
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Date
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1840s
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Type
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Watercolor
