Tohunga painting auction highlights Māori art’s true cultural value

Charles Fredrick Goldie’s 1938 portrait of Wharekauri Tahuna sold for $3.75m at auction on Tuesday. Photo / International Art Centre
The record-setting price for CF Goldie’s Ngāti Manawa tohunga Wharekauri Tahuna – that fetched $3.75 million – has shone the light on the monetary side of Māori taonga as well as its cultural value.
The painting by the renowned New Zealand artist was sold at auction on Tuesday.
Waikato University research fellow Hemopereki Simon says the skyrocketing prices of Māori artefacts is all but removing Māori from ownership of such precious taonga.
“This sale is a powerful reminder of the ongoing challenge iwi face, particularly Ngāti Manawa, in preserving taonga for future generations,“ Simon said.
“Goldie’s painting is more than just a historical artefact; it is a symbol of Māori ancestral connections and a reflection of the impact of colonisation on indigenous art forms.”
Simon emphasises that these works are not mere assets but are taonga tuku iho – treasures passed down from ancestors to be safeguarded.
“As a result of colonisation photos and paintings have been used as substitutes for traditional carvings that were once vital to Māori identity, especially after the decline of carving practices,“ he said.
He critiques the view of such works as investments and assets and is urging a deeper understanding of their true cultural value to Te Ao Māori and the wider Aotearoa cultural heritage.
“The titles of Goldie’s paintings, such as A Noble Relic of A Noble Race, reflect a colonial mindset that assumed Māori people were destined to die off. Yet, Aotearoa New Zealand today is home to a thriving Māori population, and this resilience challenges the narrative Goldie’s paintings often convey and their depiction of only kuia and kaumātua,“ Simon said.
“Such philosophies behind these paintings are that it is destiny for white people to take over indigenous lands.
“While the auction of this painting may seem like a mere financial transaction, it highlights the significant cultural implications for Māori communities.
He wants the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to take a more proactive lead in ensuring New Zealand taonga is safeguarded to remain in Aotearoa.
“The sale of these taonga outside of Aotearoa risks severing the connection between Māori descendants and their ancestral heritage. The Government needs to address this,“ he said.
“For small iwi like Ngāti Manawa, the ability to reclaim such taonga is increasingly difficult. Treaty settlements, which are based on population size, offer limited resources, making the repatriation of significant artworks unattainable for many iwi.
For Ngāti Manawa, the only realistic hope of acquiring such a Goldie painting is through unforeseen and unrealistic circumstances, such as a lottery win.
“The auction of the Wharekauri painting serves as an opportunity to reflect on the intersection of art, colonial history, and indigenous cultural preservation and cultural survival. It brings into focus the urgent need for better protection and understanding of Māori taonga, emphasising that their value is not in their market price but in the cultural and ancestral connections they represent,“ Simon said.