[Johnston, John Tremenhere] fl 1860s :Reihana Taukawau Tukarawa [1863 or 1864]

Head and shoulders portrait of Reihana Te Taukawau, dressed in European clothing, with short hair and light beard, no moko, greenstone earring hanging in his left ear and two ?huia feathers in his hair.

Title beneath work has been inscribed probably by the subject of the portrait in ink. Another portrait in this series is held by the Library showing Hapiman Ngapiko (A-263-024) 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

See also the catalogue for the National Library exhibition 'Encounter with Eden', p.60, the notes to item 61, Johnston's portrait of Kamariera te Wharepapa for further information; also Hariru Wikitoria! by Brian Mackrell (Auckland 1985). The attribution to J.T.Johnston derives from Rex Nan Kivell and is thought to have been supplied to Sir Rex when he acquired the painting of Te Wharepapa.

Reihana Te Taukawau, son of Ngapuhi chief Tukarewa, 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 party returned aboard the "Flying Foam" to New Zealand in 1864.

Inscriptions: Recto - beneath image - Reihana Taukawau Tukuarawa

Quantity: 1 watercolour(s).

Physical Description: Watercolour 258 x 177 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]