More than 1800 matau (traditional Māori fish hooks) gathered across generations have been the subject of renewed focus recently, with the Te Unua Museum of Southland Collections team assessing objects as part of the planning for the new regional museum’s long-term exhibition.
With the physical build of Te Unua Museum of Southland, in Invercargill, set to be completed soon, work to bring the exhibitions that would be on display when the new museum opens to the public next year is continuing.
Te Unua Museum of Southland Collections Team Leader Tiffany Jenks said the taoka Māori selected for inclusion in the long-term exhibition at the museum would be part of a wider exploration of the narratives behind Southland’s rich fishing heritage.
During the past month, the Collections team had been carefully working through the extensive collection of matau – largely made from bone – to identify the objects best-placed to help tell the fuller story of the region’s fishing traditions, and their place in Southland’s broader historical narrative.
“The selection process is about finding objects that help visitors with the places and practices behind them. Our regional museum collection has such an extensive array of hooks, which really illustrates the importance of our waterways to Southland,” she said.
“No two hooks are the same – they all vary in size, design, and condition – and they really offer a glimpse into the ingenuity of early fishing practices within our region. Some of these hooks are absolutely beautiful, particularly the ones with pāua inlay, and you can really appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into them. We also wanted to find examples that people could look at and recognise, so they can start to understand how they were used, and make that connection with the past.”
