photo

    Museum of Wellington City & Sea

    Comments and faves

    1. indiginz (47 months ago | reply)

      Hi Peta, hope you are well. the panels are called 'tukutuku' these can be woven from flax, muka, pingao and various other plants and grasses. The cross paneling the strands are woven through are usually toitoi (local pampus) stalks. Traditional methods of dying the strands include using ocre, sharks oil, and paruparu, a brown type of earth or mud. Surprisingly a lot contemporary tukutuku panels use these methods. A panel generally has one pattern, sometimes two. This seems to have many patterns in one panel which isn't uncommon either in moderns times.
      I am guessing the patterns but I can see Niho Taniwha (Dragons teeth) Taki Toru which represents communication between peoples, Patikitiki (maybe) which is the flounder and represents 'plenty' as in food and is a sign of great hospitality.
      Other common patterns (which maybe on the next panels) include Purapura Whetu, the stars and galaxies presenting multitudes of people, living and ancestors who have passed and Poutama, the stairway to heaven or the striving for higher knowledge.
      I can only see part of the carving, the top part are the legs of the top figure and right in front of the person is the face of the bottom figure, both of whom will be well known ancestors...

      H (-:

    2. peta (47 months ago | reply)

      Thanks so much H! :) That's very helpful information on what is included in this photo. The tukutuku and each of the designs meaning is beautiful.
      I'm fine...happy to be in Wellington and the Wairarapa for a few weeks in May. :)

    3. lee snark (47 months ago | reply)

      Wonderful shot, Peta. Love the colours...

    4. borealnz (47 months ago | reply)

      Very beautiful, the light and tones are wonderful and show off the workmanship of the panels to perfection.

    5. peta (47 months ago | reply)

      Thanks Lee and Jill....i'm very happy I spotted this yesterday in my vast archives! I discovered I could put jpegs through my Adobe Raw in PSCS3 and this was one I took before I shot RAW exclusively, and so easy to edit in that RAW(love it!)...I'd thought this wasn't worth editing as so much shadow obscuring the main image.

    6. andrea francesco (46 months ago | reply)

      wellington? new zealand? oooh my @___@ And the picture is great ^^

      ciao peta!

    7. peta (46 months ago | reply)

      Yes indeed Andrea...you'll have to fly way down south someday! ;) Thanks!

    8. ozma (46 months ago | reply)

      tones in balance - great!

    9. photoeyesee (46 months ago | reply)

      Outstanding Image my friend !!!

    10. alison lyons photography (46 months ago | reply)

      wonderful mix of tones and textures, magnificent photo.

    11. peta (46 months ago | reply)

      Thanks you so much everyone, happy you like it.:)

    12. Anna Pagnacco (46 months ago | reply)

      Very beautiful compo and excellent details Peta!!! hugs, Anna

    13. peta (46 months ago | reply)

      Thank you Anna, will be back in 5 or 6 weeks with more.:) Hugs.

    14. Vi P (46 months ago | reply)

      Beautiful excuse for a portrait. Love the colours and the profile.

    15. peta (46 months ago | reply)

      Thanks so much Vi. She was very intent on studying the display as you can see.:)

    16. ★

      Hurlbut Photography added this photo to his favorites. (4 months ago)

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