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Í'e (Tahitian tapa beater)

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

This i'e (tapa beater) and a tutua (tapa beating anvil) were made by Moe and Hinatea Colombani. They were gifted to Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand by the Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles at the conclusion of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project, 2023.  BackgroundIn 2021, with the Te Papa Foundation’s support, Te Papa acquired a rare book of tapa cloth samples, one of many assembled by Alexander Shaw in 1787. The samples were cut from larger pieces of tapa collected on Captain Cook’s voyages to the Pacific (1768, 1772, 1776) and represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga. While the books contain only fragments of much larger creations, they highlight the variety of textures and artistry attained through the practices, knowledge, and skills of Pacific peoples.Held in Tahiti in 2023, 'Ahu: Ngā Wairua o Hina brought tapa makers of Tongan, Sāmoan, Niuean, Fijian, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Pitcairn-Norfolk Island, and Māori descent. Over five days this group worked together to re-establish their living relationships to the cloth held within the Alexander Shaw book. Through a process of wānanga this group of makers created two tapa bundles, incorporating the ideas of past, present, and future. Today, one of the bundles resides with Te Papa and the other with Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.

Ngā whakamārama -
Details

  • Title

    Í'e (Tahitian tapa beater)

  • Maker

    Hinatea Colombani, Moe Colombani

  • Date made

    September 2023

  • Subject

    wood, mallets, Tahiti, Polynesian, Tahitian, Hinatea Colombani, Moe Colombani

  • Rights

    All Rights Reserved

  • View source record for this item

    https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/2288857

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  • Location

    Cable Street, Wellington

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Whare taonga | Organisation

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

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  • Text adapted with permission from Te Papa and Digital NZ

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