Pūpapaka

Maker and Role
Author/Artist: Brian Flintoff
Description
A pūpapaka, a variation of the Putatara. Made of a large shell, lashing and carved Matai wood. The famed shag, Te Kawau a Toru, whose remains are immortalised as the reef across Te Aumiti, or French Pass, was noted for seeking out ever greater challenges. For this instrument Flintoff imagined that on one of his dives he saw an enormous shell like this and so he carved him bringing news of his find as the mouthpiece of this pupakapaka. The wings of the Tui which hang below remind us that it was the birds of Aotearoa who told Te Kawau where the most challenging currents could be found.
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Object detail

Classification
Musical T&E/T&E For Communication/Nomenclature
Media/Materials Description
textile, general/shells
Measurements
0 - Whole = Length (mm) = 726mm
0 - Whole = Width (mm) = 190mm
0 - Whole = Height (mm) = 157mm
Collection
Accession Number
NPM2005.126.2

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