Early depiction of a Māori chief
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Early depiction of a Māori chief
James Cook and those who accompanied him had sustained and friendly interaction with Māori, and made detailed observations. The artist Sydney Parkinson, who travelled with Cook on the Endeavour, made many sketches, including this portrait of ‘the head of a chief of New Zealand, the face curiously tataow’d, or marked according to their manner’. The chief has a full facial moko (tattoo), a greenstone tiki around his neck, an ear pendant, and a comb in his topknot.
About this item
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0037-16
Engraving based on a wash drawing by Sydney Parkinson
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.
