Artist unknown :A New Zealand chief lying in state, surrounded by the heads of his enemies [1856]

Shows Upokia, a Whangarei chief, seated in death, his back against a carved pole (possibly a rendering of a canoe, simplified by the artist), skulls and other human bones at his side on a mat, a flax fence around him, with the preserved heads of other men impaled on poles holding up the fence. A mere and another weapon (a Marquesan club) are suspended from the fence. The chief is wearing two different fine cloaks, albatross feathers in his hair and ears and a garland of pink and white flowers around his head.

The image is partially derived from Louis de Sainson's 'Scene de deuil a la Nouvelle-Zelande' [Scene of mourning in New Zealand], an engraving published in Dumont d'Urville's 'Voyage pittoresque autour du monde' (Paris, 1834), Vol 2 opp. p. 406. The artist in the Josenhans / Scholz publication has, however, added the fence and mokomokai (preserved heads), suggesting a possible derivation from an intermediate version published by J. S. Polack 'The remains of Upokia, a chief of Wangari, lying in state' a wood engraving illustrating Polack's 'Manners and customs of the New Zealanders...' (London, 1840, p. 64). Polack's version does show moko mokai and a surrounding fence and acknowledges that the chief in question is Upokia. In Sainson's earlier version, the body is seated against a carved pole, has skulls and other human bones to one side, but shows the women of the tribe mourning, slashing themselves with sharp shells and men firing guns in the background

The text opposite emphasises that on this occasion, European influence prevented the murder of slaves to mark the death of the chief.As a result, the females of the chief's household did not kill themselves either

Extended Title - In "Illustrations of missionary scenes" (1856), vol 1, plate 10.

Quantity: 1 colour art print(s) in published volume.

Physical Description: Lithograph, hand-coloured, on page 207 x 330 mm.