Life mask of Wiremu Nera Te Kanae returned to Porirua after more than 100 years

This is a new series of kōrero tuku iho  where each week we’ll bring you kōrero from the archives, uncovering the fascinating stories behind them with the support of our Ahurea (Cultural Services) team. Ngā mihi nui ki Te Rauparaha for sharing this kōrero.

It has been 2 years since the life mask of tūpuna Wiremu Neera Te Kanae (Wineera Te Kanae) was returned home to his whenua and whānau as a treasured taonga to Takapūwāhia Marae. This significant event marked the end of more than 120 years of the life mask being housed at the Grassi Museum in Leipzig, Germany.

For over a century, Ngāti Toa Rangatira were unaware of the sculpture’s existence. Created from a life mask by German ornithologist and ethnologist Otto Finsch, it remained hidden in the archives of the State Ethnographic Collections Saxony in eastern Germany, recorded under the number A0139.

The life mask of Wiremu Neera Te Kanae, along with over 100 Māori and Moriori remains and various taonga, were repatriated to Aotearoa from seven German Institutions to Papa Tongarewa. This significant return followed extensive mediation efforts by Karanga Aotearoa Roa Repatriation Programme in collaboration with Te Papa Tongarewa.

The practice of photography and life masks were popular and highly sought after museum object for exchange and purchase in the early 1900s. Otto Finch had travelled to Aotearoa twice between 1879 and 1885 and develop an extensive catalogue of life masks.

Finch recorded in his catalogue the difficulties he had in obtaining plaster casts. He credited success was only due to the mediation of friend Dr W Buller of Wellington, as it was out of friendship and respect for him that several Māori eventually allowed themselves to be persuaded to undergo what was seen as a very unpleasant procedure. He noted that “Wiremu Nera te Kanae chief of the Nga toa tribe a of Porirua, province of Wellington.  A large powerful man of about 34 years of age, and a beau full type of Maori.  He is the grandson of the celebrated warrior Te Rauparaha”.

We would like to acknowledge, Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Programme (KARP), Te Papa Tongarewa and the descendants of Wiremu Nera Te Kanae for his return home.

 Click here to view an article by (Stuff 17 June 2023) that reported the return of the life mask to Ngāti Toa.