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Icons Nga Taonga: From the Collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Icons Nga Taonga From the Collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Author:Museum of New Zealand Icons Nga Taonga opens the doors on the collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Superb illustrations and lively text introduce a magnificent array of ?icons? ? taonga Maori, artworks and famous objects, domestic artifacts, Pacific treasures, and rare specimens from the natural world. From McCahon?s paintings to the Britte... more »n motorcycle, from a waka taua to the plants collected on James Cook?s first expedition, from Phar Lap?s mighty skeleton to an embroidered colonial sampler, these items come from all areas of the museum. Each has a significant story to tell, and together they offer a fascinating glimpse into the life and history of New Zealand. But this is a museum of contemporary research as well as one that holds crucial historical records. The collections provide not only tangible evidence of the country?s heritage, but also an opportunity to unravel the secrets of the past. The museum?s foundation in the mid-nineteenth century rested on a major group of taonga Maori, dating back several centuries, and on early collections of New Zealand?s flora and fauna. Pacific pieces, art, and items of ?historical interest? were added, and decades of scholarship have created the rich narrative that flows from the collections today. Icons Nga Taonga contains surprises and questions, accounts of conflict as well as achievement, silences as well as fact. But it is above all a celebration ? a celebration of the work of many people, past and present, whose lives have intersected with the nation?s treasures. These pages make a permanent record of Te Papa?s extraordinary, diverse collections. for all readers to enjoy.« less