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A collection of intricate and beautiful floor mats woven for Te Rauru meeting house at Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, are seen in this photo from about 1898. In front are some of the Te Arawa women who wove the mats. In 1910 Te Rauru was sold to a museum in Hamburg, Germany. From the 1980s Te Arawa delegations have visited the meeting house and advised on its restoration and maintenance. All visitors must remove their shoes, partly to preserve the fine and precious mats covering the floor.
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Reference: 1/2-139995-F
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.