Story: New Zealand identity

This bureau was made in 1865 by Anton Seuffert. The inlaid veneers of New Zealand woods feature a number of New Zealand icons – most prominently, the tree fern in the centre. Ferns, especially the silver fern, had become symbols of New Zealand by the mid-19th century. Other icons represented on the cabinet include a moa, a scene with lake and mountains, and a Māori man and woman.