Bust of Chief Tamati Tamaiwhakanehua Kauri gum, New Zealand, circa 1860

Bust of Chief Tamati Tamaiwhakanehua, Kauri gum, New Zealand, circa 1860

This rare lifesize bust depicts Tamati Tamaiwhakanehua, a high-ranking chief of the Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare and Te Whānau-a-Te-Ao hapū of Ngāti Porou, carved in the fossilized resin of the native kauri tree. The intricately rendered moko (facial tattoo) and stylized garment carvings reflect the mana and ancestral lineage of the sitter, whose leadership was affirmed through his signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on June 9, 1840, at Tokomaru Bay.

Tamaiwhakanehua’s participation in the Treaty—a foundational agreement between the British Crown and Māori chiefs—marks this bust as a sculptural tribute to Māori sovereignty and diplomacy. Its scale, material rarity, and named subject distinguish it as a significant work of Pacific portraiture, bridging ethnographic reverence and historical narrative.

Height: 49 cm
Width: 37cm
Depth 25cm