In a first, an exhibition featuring a selection of taonga from the private collection of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII will be on display to the world next week at the Auckland Museum.
The taonga are rarely seen outside events pertaining to the King Movement. The Te Paki o Matariki: 160 years of Kiingitanga exhibition marks the significant anniversary milestone.
Co-curator, Te Warena Taua, says the decision to have the exhibition was made by the royal household of Pootatau Te Wherowhero.
“The idea came from the heir apparent, his father, mother also, his family. Secondly, Te Aa Whatumoana is the head of the exhibition,” says Taua.
The treasures include a highly-prized cloak of the late Dame Te Arikinui Te Atairangi Kaahu, the glass stained window of Te Paki o Matariki and a ceremonial walking stick carved from whalebone belonging to King Tuheitia.