This is a 1.8-metre section of a long piece of wallpaper depicting views of Pacific history based on the accounts of European explorers from the 18th century. This section illustrates a wrestling match in Tongatapu, Tonga. The Tongan king is supposedly pictured in this scene under a banana tree (on the left) with one of his favourite wives. The Hellenic costumes and wrestling poses reflect the European preoccupation with ancient Greece, rather than accurately depicting Pacific peoples.
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Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki, Mackelvie Trust Collection
Woodblock and gouache on paper by Joseph Dufour & Co and Jean Charvet
Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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