'A timeless taonga': Only known customary Māori sail Te Rā returns to Aotearoa

Makers unknown Te Rā [the sail] c. 1770–1800. Harakeke, kererū, kāhu and kākā feathers, dog skin. On loan from the Trustees of the British Museum. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Museum

Te Rā - the only known customary Māori sail in existence - has returned to New Zealand for a short time.

The piece, which has been stored at the British Museum in London, is currently at the Christchurch Art Gallery. It previously has only been on display for short period of time in 1998.

It will move to Tāmaki Paenga Hira, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, from 18 November, before returning to London next May.

Auckland Museum Curator Dr Kahutoi Te Kanawa told Morning Report: "We think it's probably over 200 years old."

Te Rā is made of harakeke and is very frail, she said.

It stands nearly four-and-a-half metres high and features a complex three-way pattern which the museum says is a testament to the skill of Māori weaving and serves as a reminder of the rich history of Māori sailing and navigation.

Te Rā will be accompanied by two sibling sails produced by Te Rā Ringa Raupā, she said.

The sails are Hine Mārama, a small-scale model, and Māhere Tū ki te Rangi, a full size recreation.

Te Rā Ringa Raupā formed in 2009 in response to Māori scholar Te Rangihīroa's (Sir Peter Buck) 1922 challenge to Māori weavers to visit the British Museum to study, reproduce, and revive the unique weaving knowledge found within this sail.

It was mentored by weaver, installation artist, and researcher Dr Maureen Lander.

Makers unknown Te Rā [the sail] (detail) c. 1770–1800. Harakeke, kererū, kāhu and kākā feathers, dog skin. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Museum

Asked why Te Rā was at the British Museum, Te Kanawa said: "That's the million dollar question everybody is asking and especially after what's happened at the British Museum recently."

Te Rā has to return to the British Museum as agreed, she said.

"Te Rā represents the preservation of wairua (spirit) of our ancestral knowledge and enduring connection of tūpuna, wisdom, creativity and artistry through time," Te Kanawa said.

"Alongside the two sister sails, we see the kotahitanga (unity) of the wairua, tinana (body) and hinengaro (mind) that is the strength of Mātauranga Māori."

"The arrival of Te Rā to Aotearoa, and now to Tāmaki Makaurau, is an extraordinary moment that allows us to connect with a little-known aspect of Māori history and see the results of remarkable skills that designed and crafted Te Rā over 200-years ago," Auckland Museum chief executive David Reeves said.

"It is a timeless taonga that has the potential to inspire new interest in the knowledge and application of Māori weaving and sailing."

Te Rā: Navigating Home is at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum from Saturday 18 November 2023 until Sunday 26 May 2024.