The man in Tamehana was originally misidentified as a great Ngati Haua chief, Wiremu Tamihana. Photo/supplied
One of Kiwi artist Charles Frederick Goldie's first Maori portraits is expected to fetch $400,000 when it is auctioned in Wellington next week.
The large oil painting, Tamehana, is to be auctioned at Dunbar Sloane on Wednesday.
Director of fine and applied arts Helena Walker said it was originally thought
the work, painted in 1900, was of Wiremu Tamihana, the great Ngati Haua chief known as the "king maker".
It was later discovered the painting had been misidentified. It is not known who the mystery Tamehana is, but Walker said it must have been someone important.
"To be painted by Goldie, he must have been of some note," she said.
