painting
- Museum number
- 2017,2045.1
- Title
- Object: Name Changer
- Description
-
Painting, acrylic on New Zealand flax (harakeke) paper, depicting the arrival of James Cook's ship HMS Endeavour on the East Coast of New Zealand in 1769.
- Production date
- 2016
- Dimensions
-
Height: 35 centimetres
-
Width: 47 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- The painting refers to the arrival of the explorer James Cook and his crew on the East Coast of New Zealand in 1769. The Maori name for the area is Turanganui a Kiwa, however Cook named it Poverty Bay. The text relates to the various Maori names of places near the landing site. Cook's ship HMS Endeavour is shown upside down, a comment on the European perception of the world at that time. As Gibbs says: 'The reality of course was that Cook and his crew were the ones who were out of sync'. Also depicted in the painting are various animals indigneous to the area, including the Maori dog (kuri) and a European metal adze blade which was used as a trade item in early encounters.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2018-2019, 29 Nov-4 Aug, London, BM, G91, Reimagining Captain Cook: Pacific Perspectives
- Condition
- Good
- Acquisition date
- 2017
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- 2017,2045.1