Te Rā: Last known Māori seagoing sail to return home

Many legends surround Te Rā and how it left New Zealand. Source / Christchurch Art Gallery / Cultural Heritage Imaging

Te Rā, the only remaining Māori flax seagoing sail in existence, held in the British Museum, is returning to New Zealand. For the first time in centuries, New Zealanders will be able to get a close-up view of the sail when it will be unveiled at the Canterbury Museum this year.

There are many legends about the sail. Some say that it was gifted to Captain James Cook, while others say it was given to famed Tahitian guide Tūpaia who accompanied Cook on one of his voyages in the Pacific.

But what is known is the sail was donated to the British Museum by James Edge-Partington in the 1800s.

More recently Māori have begun travelling to England to inspect the sail, including a group of weavers hoping to replicate it.

Joe Harawira is flying to London to guide the sail safely back to New Zealand.

Joe Harawira will bring the sail back to New Zealand.

“The age of this particular sail is 200 years. It’s been at the British Museum for over 100 years.”

Hopes it will stay

A Northland collective of weavers has recreated a modern version of the flax sail, recreating old Maōri techniques to replicate the complex weaving on it.

Harawira says the sail is technically on loan from the British Museum, but Māori would like to see it returned permanently and that the 200-year-old mystery of the origins of the sail might be finally solved.

“We are fighting to have it returned permanently to us.

“That’s probably the reason it’s been allowed to return to New Zealand, to gather information and the eventual return to New Zealand permanently.”