Munich, September 2025.
Carving lies at the heart of this exhibition. It is not viewed in isolation, however, but has close holistic connections to other forms of expression in Māori philosophy, such as the art of weaving, certain forms of wood painting, the working of greenstone (pounamu) and the performing arts, such as the haka dance and certain songs (waiata).
According to Māori philosophy, the arts embody a living, everlasting relationship between the past and the present. Many carvings are more than merely lifeless objects; they are perceived as living and connected to one’s ancestors. It is therefore our wish that the descendants of their original makers or owners are able to revive this relationship. How museum scholars try to find these individuals within the numerous iwi (tribal groups) – or they the museum experts – is likewise a theme of this exhibition.
He Toi Ora – A Living History displays 80 objects. These represent a large part of the Māori works looked after in the Oceania collection of the Museum Fünf Kontinente. Alongside impressive figures with realistic facial tattoos, some of whose eyes are accentuated by shimmering inlays, the exhibition also features jewellery boxes (waka huia) reserved for high-ranking individuals, precious items made of greenstone and exquisite cloaks, as well as weapons and everyday objects. Whether fully sculpted or decorated with bas-reliefs, almost all of the wooden objects feature the motifs characteristic of Māori carving, consisting of fine geometric patterns and spiral shapes.
But where exactly do these carvings come from? Which of the many iwi (tribal groups) do they originate from? Concerning their provenance, one quickly reaches the limits of what is known: almost all of the Māori carvings in the Museum Fünf Kontinente were acquired in London between 1825 and 1914, at which point their trail is lost. But how did they get there from New Zealand? Were they stolen or extorted from their owners? Did they come into European hands through purchase or exchange, and how did these transactions happen? Were they gifts that established important relationships and were intended to be maintained through delayed reciprocal gifts, often over generations? As the exhibition shows, these connections can be surmised, based on certain evidence.
The search for clues begins with archive materials such as historical photos and documents. These provide information about the immediate previous owners of the objects from whom the museum acquired them, shedding light on these collectors’ motivation.
Another piece of the puzzle is provided by wood analyses carried out for most of the objects by the Thünen Institute in Hamburg, which provide information about the different tree species that have been used by the Māori as carving materials since ancient times.
Besides research using archival materials and wood, the carving motifs can also be part of provenance research, offering clues to specific stylistic regions. Nonetheless, the expertise of the Māori is vitally important in classifying and tracing the carvings.
In close consultation with Māori experts and members of the Rongowhakaata iwi, this exhibition was jointly developed and designed by Dr Hilke Thode-Arora, Oceania curator at the Museum Fünf Kontinente, and David Jones, cultural strategist, lawyer, consultant and himself a Rongowhakaata, as Māori curator. While the use of ‘we’ and ‘our’ in the text panels sometimes takes on different perspectives, what is shown is a collaborative effort. The exhibition presents some of the methods used by museum scientists (both Māori and non-Māori) to research the origins of non-European objects. At the same time, it introduces visitors to Māori philosophy and its worldview.
Although many carvings only provide clues as to their exact origin, one piece – the Tāwhaki post figure – could be clearly identified as coming from the Rongowhakaata meeting house Te Mana o Tūranga at Whakatō Marae near Gisborne. For this reason, the last room is dedicated to the ancestor Tāwhaki and Rongowhakaata. Films, interviews, a photo installation and art objects show the close connection between Tāwhaki and the people of his iwi living today.
With thanks to
With thanks to the Freundeskreis Museum Fünf Kontinente e.V., the Federal Foreign Office and the Thünen Institute in Hamburg. Project funding made possible through the strategic partnership between the University of Cambridge and LMU Munich.
Catalogue about the exhibition
Hilke Thode-Arora/Museum Fünf Kontinente (Hg.) mit Beiträgen von Amber Aranui, Robert E. Jahnke, David Jones, Gerald Koch, Immo Heinz und Serjej Kaschuro:
He Toi Ora. Beseelte Kunst der Māori. Auf den Spuren der Schnitzwerke im Museum Fünf Kontinente, Schnell und Steiner Verlag, Regensburg 2025.
He Toi Ora – A Living History. Connecting Carved Māori Treasures in the Museum Fünf Kontinente, Schnell und Steiner Verlag, Regensburg 2025.
Events accompanying the exhibition
Guided tours with the curator Dr. Hilke Thode-Arora will take place on the following Sundays, each time at 2 pm: 26.10.25, 9.11.25, 7.12.25, 11.1.26, 8.2.26, 22.3.26, 12.4.26. Limited number of places. Please register at kunstvermittlung@mfk-weltoffen.de.
These and more events accompanying the special exhibition can be found in the programme section.