Story: Home décor and furnishings

Charles Emilius Gold painted this interior of the simple house of Mr Wining, who may have been a whaler, judging from the whale vertebrae used as stools. Everyday implements such as a rifle, rope, eating and cooking utensils and flax kete (baskets) form part of the décor, as do hanging foodstuffs including fish, ducks, pūkeko (swamp hens) and drying ears of corn. Mr Wining and his Māori wife warm themselves by the all-important fireplace, where a meal is in preparation.