Story: Cards, board games and puzzles

Māori playing draughts, 1840s

A game of draughts is under way in the lower left corner of this peaceful scene of Māori village life in the late 1840s. The artist, John Gilfillan, arrived in New Zealand with his family in 1841, and settled near Pūtiki, Whanganui, which is shown in this lithograph. Gilfillan made many drawings of his Māori neighbours, and this work was said to have been exhibited at the New Zealand Court in the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: C-029-001
Hand-coloured lithograph by John Gilfillan

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Mark Derby, 'Cards, board games and puzzles - Māori use of games', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/38887/maori-playing-draughts-1840s (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Mark Derby, published 5 Sep 2013