Precious taonga of Māori weaving and voyaging touring country

Te Rā, dated circa 1770–1800 and made from harakeke, kererū, kāhu and kākā feathers, dog skin. It is on loan from the Trustees of the British Museum. Photo / Supplied / Cultural Heritage Imaging

By RNZ

The only known customary Māori sail in existence has returned to Aotearoa on loan from the British Museum.

Te Rā - an almost four-and-a-half-metre-long sail woven from harakeke - is thought to be one of the earliest surviving examples of Māori weaving.

It is being exhibited at the Christchurch Art Gallery from today to October 23.

The Christchurch City Council said the more than 200-year-old sail, which had been in storage at the British Museum, had been shown to the public only once in its lifetime.

Ranui Ngarimu, a member of the research team who initiated the exhibition, said it was special to bring the sail back to New Zealand.

She said Te Rā was deeply significant for the way it built on cultural and historic knowledge of Māori weaving and voyaging.

“The exhibition offers fascinating insights into our past. Some of the techniques used on the sail have not been applied for a long time.

“One of the things our ocean-going navigators have said is that the only thing missing off the waka they’re building now are our traditional sails, so there’s a challenge for our people here in Aotearoa to make some sails.”

Ngarimu said Te Rā showed the skill of early Māori weavers.

“For me it’s another link in the chain to our wellness as Māori people, when we see the absolute genius of our ancestors and how they made this sail.”

Ngarimu said the research team were hoping to uncover more information about where the sail came from and who made it.

Te Rā will travel to Auckland at the end of October, and will be displayed at the Auckland War Memorial Museum between November 2023 and May 2024.

- RNZ