Nga upoko o Hongi: The three busts of Hongi  

 Curatorial Project 

 Curatorial Investigation has been in Process since

January 2020 

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Unbeknownst to most, there are actually three carved wooden busts of Hongi Hika in existence, not just the one in the Auckland Museum, as is commonly believed by many. 

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Our initial goal was to bring these busts together, to unify them, as part of these bicentennial commemorations. This would be the first time that all three busts would have been together, in the same place - something that may never happen again.

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For this exhibition, we would also be looking to exhibit the kakahu which Hongi gifted King George IV, the pounamu hei-tiki which Hongi gifted Rev. Basil Woodds, along with any other taonga/artefacts relating to Hongi Hika.

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As can be imagined, this project is an extremely ambitious one, which is reliant on the collaboration between up to five different museums in three countries.

 

We would welcome any assistance with sponsorship or funding to enable this project to occur.

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If you would like to support this project, please contact us at hongishikoi@gmail.com