Nga Taonga Tuku Iho - Treasures from the Past
Maori taonga in the Nga Taonga Tuku
Iho gallery
Alert/Important notice
Visitors to Te Urewera National Park are advised that from January 2008 the upper floors of Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre will be closed and all services to the public provided from the lower part of the building.
Please note that the historic artefacts that were on display have been moved to the storage area. Alternative off-site storage has been found for Colin McCahon’s ‘Urewera Mural’ at the Auckland Art Gallery.
Read more information about the closure
Introduction
Nga Taonga Tuku Iho, meaning Treasures From The Past, is the name given to the first exhibition gallery at DOC Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre, Lake Waikaremoana. The name was chosen by Waikaremoana hapu and given to the gallery following refurbishment which was completed in 2000.
The Maori Hall
The gallery, originally known as the "Maori Hall" was designed by architect John Scott to give the feeling of being a wharenui or meeting house, a room for the display of taonga. Following the opening of the Visitor Centre in 1976, the "Urewera Mural" by Colin McCahon, which had been commissioned for the building was displayed in the gallery. In 1984, the mural was re-located to the reception area of the building to make way for information displays.
Whare Taonga
Renovation in 2000 allowed a return to Scott's whare taonga concept. The shapes and textures of a wharenui have been reinforced with the installation of a wooden floor and curved display cases that reflect the contours of traditional carvings. Whariki (woven mat) and tukutuku (decorative panels) produced by Waikaremoana kuia, Maria Waiwai and her whanau, complement the design and displays. The rearranged display space also allowed McCahon's "Urewera Mural" to be re-hung in the gallery.
Conservation
The gallery refurbishment followed a programme started in 1994, of upgrading storage systems, environmental control and collection policies for taonga held by the museum. Conservation specialists have advised and assisted DOC staff to establish systems consistent with modern museological standards.
Only a limited selection of taonga is on display as items needs to be periodically "rested" in appropriate storage facilities to ensure their conservation.
Consultation and Support
Technical aspects of the conservation programme have involved a variety of specialists and invaluable assistance has been provided by the Gisborne Museum and Arts Centre.
The gallery refurbishment involved a working party which included local hapu, Friends of the Urewera National Park Association, the East Coast Hawke's Bay Conservation Board and DOC staff who worked closely with designer Ian Smail. The work has also been financially supported by the Clark Charitable Trust which has a long history of association with Te Urewera National Park and contributed to the purchase of the "Urewera Mural" in 1976.
Where to from here?
The new conservation systems will enable staff to protect and manage material held at Aniwaniwa. Ongoing work will continue as the taonga is cared for and conservation recommendations for individual pieces are undertaken.
The size and complexity of this conservation programme has given everyone involved a new appreciation of the mana of material held at Aniwaniwa, and highlighted the responsibilities that guardians of taonga have to future generations. Nga Taonga Tuku Iho is the public face of a conservation programme which allows visitors to glimpse some of the history of a unique area of Aotearoa.
back to top