THE CURIO HUNTER

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1930, Page 2

THE CURIO HUNTER

VANDALISM AT ROTORUA

SOME MAORI WORKS OF ART

“I do hope your Government will take some steps to protect what is left of your Native works of art in the Maori village at Rotorua, or in a few years there will be none left. I think the trouble is mainly due to those visitors who go through without guides, and here and there break off pieces of carving or flat plaiting as mementoes whiles others with a flair for leaving traces of their visit carve or writ< their . initials on Native work which sho’dd he jealously guarded.” These views were exposed witl some concern by Mr M. V. Bleechmore of Melbourne, who has just completed a fortnight’s circular tour of the North Island, in which he spent two or three days' in Rotorua district. While greatly impressed with the uncanny and weird features of the thermal regions such- as geysers, hot springs, and mud pools, what interested him above every tiling else was the Native village, with ,jtes wonderful carvings,- the beautiful cloaks in' which the feathers of native birds were so cunningly introduced; and the splendid collections of Native tools and implements which the Maoris performed their arts and craHs. nra 1 ;:' \ ; ," ;« ;.L ’-. i “Guide Rangi was away at,the time qf my visit,” said Mr Bleechinore ’land I was conducted by Guide Harriet who ( explained in a most fascinating wav i the .Maori legends and'cai-yings. Let me say here that I think your Government sliould\preserve these legends in black and white, print them in abbreviated form and with authoritative photographs, use them in doing more publicity work all over the world. The outside world really knows very little of the wonderful things you have to show them in New Zealand, and some of them have to be seen to be believed Never till I came to New Zealand did I believe it was true that you could nafeh trout in the stream and Without stirring could put it in a boiling pool and cook it. I thought it was too farfetched, hut it is true enough./

SACRILEGE,

“In going through the Native village it struck me as sacrilege that tour ists should damage the beautiful carving in the whares and other works, all cut in the old-fashioned way with greenstone axes and other stone implements, just for the sake of gratifying their mania for collecting curios, The village should bo protected and no tourists should be allowed to go i’oitiid without guides, aiid where this ruthless destruction in detected the Offenders should be prosecuted. “Initials are cut or written all over the plnce ,nnd pieces of flax work or portions of enrvinigs have been broken off as mementoes, These things cannot he replaced, for the old Natives who did this sort of work are dying out, and the younger ones are not taking up the Maori arts in the same way as their fathers did. Guide Rangi’s father is still alive, and lie did a great amount of the carving which is to be seen there. If he were given the task he could probably repair most of the damage which- has been done, as lie is one of the few left who can use the Native’ tools. These treasures should •then he jealously guarded, for -visitors would not conic from all parts of the woild to see'damaged goods.”

OBSERVE NATIVE CUSTOMS,

Mr Bleeclihioie. said lie bad learned that Maoris considered it unlucky to repaint anything which had once been coloured or painted, and thus was evident by examination of the old carvings, which still bore their old colouring. They made their pigments from the earth mixed with dog 'fat, and once this was applied they were never touch ed again. He was staying at the Spa Hotel, where there was a beautiful whare, and he was very sorry to see they had been varnishing or repainting it. Unless it was absolutely necessary for preservation, this should be avoided, in order to observe the Maori custom.

He saw several private collections of .Native tools, implements, and weapons and some beautiful examples of the canes in which were woven kiwi and other feathers, but, in the words of one of the Native women, “no money would buy them.” He could not help comparing the old Maori customs with moder ncivilisation, and lie thought their communal -form of living the nearest thing to Socialist he had ever seen. Another privilege that he greatly appreciated was that he was allowed to witness a tangi. He wa.s invited to the feast which was to follow, but declined through feelings of delicacy.

SOME FISHING

Air Blcecbmorc was astonished at the size of the trout caught at Rotorua. One fisherman came in with half a dozen measuring from 18 to 24 inches each in length, and had caught them with some of the thinnest catgut he had ever seen. He must have played them like an artist. He visited the Blowhole at Wairnkei, and related the old Maori belief that the quality of the fishing was governed by the height of the spout. A wonderful sight was the three mountains, Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe, all snowcapped which could he soon 70 miles away. Mr Bleechmore made the journey