[Johnston, John Tremenhere] fl 1860s :Hapimana Ngapiko [1863 or 1864]

Head and shoulders portrait of Hapimana Ngapiko, dressed in European clothing, with short hair, moustache and light beard and moko around the nose, mouth and chin area. 2 pencil sketches of fish on verso.

Title beneath work has been inscribed by the subject of the portrait in ink. Another portrait in this series is held by the Library of Reihana Taukawau Tukarewa at A-263-025 and another is in the Rex Nan Kivell Collection (Ref. T3195, NK235), National Library of Australia, showing Kamariera te Wharipapa. These portraits were almost certainly painted in England. The group spent some time in Birmingham, arrriving there on 6 October 1863 and being based there until the return of most of the party to New Zealand in April 1864.

See also the catalogue for the National Library exhibition 'Encounter with Eden" p. 60, the notes to Johnston's portrait of Te Wharepapa, for further information. The attribution to J.T.Johnston comes from Rex Nan Kivell and is thought to have been supplied to him when he acquired the portrait. See also Brian Mackrell's 'Hariru Wikitoria!' (Auckland, 1983) for information about the group's trip to England.

Hapimana Ngapiko of Te Ati Awa accompanied William Jenkins, a Wesleyan lay preacher, and a group of other Maori men and women to England in 1863. The group met Queen Victoria and were shown the sights of England. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (1990), p. 348 claims that Hapimana Ngapiko died aboard the "Flying Foam" on the journey back to New Zealand in 1864. Author Brian Mackrell in "Hariru Wikitoria!" (1983) has him returning to New Zealand aboard another vessel, the "Surat", departing England on 20 June 1864, and arriving safely in New Zealand.

Inscriptions: Recto - beneath image - Hapimana Ngapika

Quantity: 1 watercolour(s).

Physical Description: Watercolour 254 x 178 mm

Provenance: From the collection of Dr Neville Hogg; previously owned by Mr Ian D. Johnston of Aquarius Fine Arts Ltd, Hamilton; he purchased it from a private collection in Birmingham, possibly in the 1970s [information from the Library's photocopy of the portrait, made in the 1970s]