An American website has removed shower curtains, cushions and t-shirts featuring Māori portraits and images of a shrunken Māori head (mokomōkai) for purchasing.
The use of images including Gottfried Lindauer portraits of Māori chiefs, on items for sale shocked musician, Moana Maniapoto.
“I just can’t actually imagine the bad taste of the people who want something like that, you know? And cushions you sit your little nono on” she said.
An online discussion group asked for the items to be removed. The artist apologised for causing offence and withdrew the items.
The website was also offering portraits of chiefs – including Waikato’s Rewi Maniapoto and Ngāpuhi’s Tamati Waka Nene – on shower curtains. Many of those portraits have now been removed as well.
Art historian Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, also a descendent of some of the Lindauer subjects, had said Māori culture was being exploited, and she was appalled by the use of the images. She said Māori images on tea towels and crockery were bad enough but this was much worse.
9 Responses
Wow Interesting.
How is dat offensive!
But I don”t really understand how it is offensive but if an ansestor of a great cheif think s so , so do I
how is it offensive?
It’s offensive because they are our Tipuna and it would be highly disrespectful to them if we were to smear our naked, dirty bodies along images of them. SHAME ON THEM for putting our taonga tipuna on such a thing. However, I’m really happy to hear the images are being pulled off the shelves.
I’m glad that the maori don’t have their portraits on furniture anymore 🙂 btw ppl saying how is this offensive its offensive bc your putting their portraits on towels and cushions you sit on cushions you wrap your towel around u thats how
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I actually like cushions with maori portraits on them, just not the shower curtain and towels, just feels wrong.
people saying how is it offensive and on the 1and 2 comments it says but really your saying how is it offensive you must not know how to read
thaks to richanimal aj and jordan
How is it offensive?