AGMANZ News Volume 14 Number 4 December 1983
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
,, C Cl Cl) CD ·-Iii .! -I t: C: I) 5 -~,... I.. •:, c:r contents B. I. McFadgen Richardson Moari Halls in NZ Museums 2 Angela Burns Report on a Painting Store and Exhibition Programme at the Otago Early Settlers Museum 4 Dr T. L. Wilson Te Moari Exhibition: A Report 6 Gerry Barton Te Moari Exhibition - Conservation Treatment Undertaken by the Auckland Museum Conservation Department 7 Chris Mangin Sponsorship: The Prepared Approach 10 Dr P. R. Millener Research on the Subfossil Deposits of The Honeycomb Hill Cave System, Opara 14 Bill Millbank The Visual Arts - General Comments on a Recent Australian Visit 1 6 Jack Churchouse NZ. A Maritime Nation? 16 Mark Strange Through a Dot Screen Dimly 18 Richard Cassels Bare Bones Exhibition at Manawatu Museum 20 David J. Butts A Home for Hawke's Bay's Natural History Collections 22 Allan Thomas Asia in N.Z. -Some After-Thoughts on Jennifer Shennan a Museum Performance. 21 Miscellany 24 The Pukeroa Gateway after cleaning on temporary display in the entrance Village scene Koroniti. Burton Bros. The 'weight' table. "Feel the weight foyer of Auckland Museum. Page 7 See page 18. of these bones". See page 20. Maori Halls in New Zealand Museums B. I. McFadgen-Richardson, Curator of Ethnology, National Museum For the first time in thirty years major should be collected and photo New Zealand to discuss an assistance New Zealand Museums, including graphed before all were lost by the to Museums and Art Galleries for the National Museum, are re "tide of colonization". The study of educational work. One of his recom developing their exhibitions of Maori simpler more "primitive" races was mendations was the establishment of Culture. The new displays, which in considered useful in understanding a school service which stressed the corporate Maori concepts, represent a the "civilized" world. The art of the teaching of children in the galleries. break with traditional ways of Maori was seen only as ornamental Museums had to make displays suit presenting Maori culture based on when compared with the European able for children and the use of European academic ideas. This paper ideal of art as an idealized reflection colour, simple layout and more in outlines the history and development of nature. formative labels pleased the general of New Zealand Museum displays of The Museum curators of anthro public as well as the children. The Maori culture and explains the basis pology (or ethnology as it was then Carnegie Corporation funded experi of the planned exhibition gallery at known) were more than antiquarians. ments in display techniques at the the National Museum. They were people who were con Auckland and Otago Museums and a The first European voyager to reach cerned to preserve Maori culture not visit by a specialist, Mr Frank Tose of New Zealand was Tasman in 1642. only for scientific reasons but be California. The use of photographs He left after the Maoris attacked his cause they knew the Maori as friends. and background graphics to tell a ships and collected nothing. The next People like Augustus Hamilton of the story were introduced into cases. For contact was Captain Cook's first Colonial Museum, Bill Phillipps of example the greenstone case would voyage in 1769. Cook's expeditions the Dominion Museum and Roger now have various ornaments and were scientific as well as commercial Duff of the Canterbury Museum adzes laid out in a curve accentuated and his ships company included spoke Maori and knew some of the with colour and extensive labels were scientists who were interested in elders as personal friends. The man hand lettered onto the background in ethnology. Cook himself was an intel who was perhaps closest to the Maori blending colours. The whole is a ligent and curious man who observed people was Elsdon Best whose work composed picture. and recorded in detail what he saw. on Maori material culture is Most present ethnological displays He had to forbid trading in artefacts unsurpassed. have been made since WW II and until the ships were provisioned so Early Museum displays were the except for a little updating and re great was the "passion for "cabinet of curiosities" type, with painting still have basically the same curiosities" of his men. The Maori bones of animals and stuffed birds layout as in the 1950's. Cases are of quickly realized the value of artefacts and artefacts all jumbled together. standard sizes and each deals with for trade and items such as nephrite They were similar to displays at one theme such as: The Arts of tikis were made for export. After International and Industrial Pleasure, Fishing, Agriculture, or The settlement began in 1800 the early Exhibitions which were popular at Coming of the Maori. There is a whalers, colonists and missionaries the turn of the century where arte strong teaching element to the traded for artefacts or obtained them facts were displayed as groups of displays. A class can sit comfortably by gift and many of the items so products in specified areas. There in front of a case and learn about acquired were sent "home" to was little division of artefacts into Samoa, tapa making or Birds of the England, Europe or America. meaningful categories and no attempt Seashore. The early settlers formed literary at interpretation. The "NZ Inter For some time ethnologists at the clubs- and scientific societies. New national Exhibition" in Christchurch major Museums have been concerned Zealanrl was initially divided into 1906-1907 featured a village con about these out-of-date displays. Un provinces and each province had a structed and occupied by Maoris fortunately, lack of funding and staff Philosophical Society which in where demonstrations of weaving, have hindered redevelopment until cluded anthropology among its carving and dance were given for just recently, but now that some re interests. Collections of Natural visitors. sources have become available the History and Ethnology were formed In 1917 T. F. Cheeseman, Director Auckland Museum and the National and the first Museum was established of the Auckland Museum, asked for a Museum in Wellington have actively in Nelson in 1841. Other Museums new building where Maori artefacts begun planning new galleries. were Auckland 1952, Wellington could be laid out as a marae/village In 1982 a committee was set up at 1865, Hawkes Bay 1865, Taranaki with models of people at their occu the National Museum to look at re 1865, Canterbury 1867, Otago 1868, pations. By the 1920's Museum planning the Maori hall. It included Southland 1871 and Wanganui 1895. displays were more selective and the Curator of Ethnology, a Museum The motivations for collecting arte artefacts were grouped into types or council member who was a Maori, a facts were many. A principle moti into geographical areas. For example designer, and an architect also a vation was to acquire the unique one case might show greenstone Maori. Concepts of interior space, objects from what many Europeans ornaments attached in rows on the movement into a centre by a tunnel, believed was a dying race. The back of the case, each with its label the Museum as a meeting house, isolation of the Maori from outside saying what it was made of and who were all explored and discussed. influence since their voyage from donated it. There might be a central Previous ideas incorporating mez Polynesia until the arrival of label with a description of stone zanine floors were rejected as it was Europeans was also cited as a reason working techniques. felt important to retain the art deco for studying their culture. It was felt In 1935 Dr F. P. Keppel, President architecture of the big central gallery. that examples of Maori artefacts of the Carnegie Corporation visited The question of natural light was de- 2 bated at great length and it was de considered but discounted on the vironment. As part of that sequence cided to retain the skylights of the same grounds. Our marae, the open the arrival of Polynesians in NZ and central gallery replacing the plain area in front of the meeting house, is their effect on the eqvironment from glass with screening glass (being sometimes used correctly as a marae an academic view will be illustrated. done now). Large Maori carvings on special occasions. The Education To say that in the new Maori were meant to be seen in natural section sometimes go through a galleries a Maori view will be taken light. The problem of artefacts fading modified form of the ceremony with is an oversimplification. Maori will be solved by making two court their classes if they have teacher culture has changed and is still yards on either side of the great training students who can act as changing. As the Mf\ori people fight carved Maori house into small hosts. to save their culture from being over intimate controlled-climate galleries Obviously when designing the whelmed by the pakeha, aspects have and linking them by a passage be exhibition there should be a sizeable become ritualized and therefore less hind the Maori house. Maori input. We have no Maoris in flexible. Common tools such as fish Visitors will be encouraged to the Ethnology Department as yet hooks and adzes which were dis move into the new galleries in an although a position for a Maori carded in the past (when broken) anti-clockwise manner which is cor advisory officer has recently been have now become objects of rect Maori protocol in front of a established. veneration or of ill-luck as tapu. The meeting house. Traditions, beliefs The National Museum is .