Story: Museums

Te Poho-o-Hinekura meeting house, Te Kūhā marae, 1970

Te Poho-o-Hinekura meeting house, Te Kūhā marae, 1970

These taonga (treasures) were photographed in Te Poho-o-Hinekura meeting house, Te Kūhā marae, at Tuai near Lake Waikaremoana, in 1970. Te Kūhā is the marae of the Ngāti Hinekura hapū of Ngāi Tūhoe. The figures painted on the poupou (upright posts) are the important tūpuna (ancestors) Ruapani and Toi-kai-rākau. In meeting houses whakairo (carvings), paintings and photographs of tūpuna are displayed, being seen as living representations of those ancestors' presence on the marae. Tukutuku (woven panels) and kōwhaiwhai (rafter paintings) also often represent traditional stories of the marae.

Using this item

University of Auckland, Department of Anthropology, Anthropology Photographic Archive
Reference: M_4_043_016.jp2
Photograph by Sidney Mead

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Conal McCarthy, 'Museums - Museums in New Zealand culture', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/43858/te-poho-o-hinekura-meeting-house-te-kuha-marae-1970 (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Conal McCarthy, published 22 Oct 2014