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Trethewey, William Thomas, 1892-1956. Sculpture by William Trethewey at the Centennial Exhibition, Rongotai, Wellington, depicting Kupe, his wife, and a tohunga. Deste, Eileen, 1909-1986 :Collection of prints and negatives. Ref: 1/2-004298-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23161462
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Description
The statue depicts Kupe, the legendary Maori discoverer of New Zealand, his wife Hine Te Aparangi and tohunga (ritual expert) Peka-Hourangi. It is the sole remant of a commission for the 1940 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition. In 1999 a replica was cast in bronze in 1999 and unveiled on the Wellington Waterfront in 2000.