Williams, John, 1796-1839 :Te Po a Chief of Rarotonga...from a painting by J Williams jnr; printed in oil colours by G Baxter. London, John Snow [1837?].

Shows a full-figure portrait of a Rarotongan chief, possibly Te Po Kurikuri. He has a large headdress, is dressed in loin cloth drapery and holds a long barbed spear upright in his left hand, and a fan in his right hand. The background shows a stretch of water with a canoe and sailing ship, with island hills in the background.

The figure is similar in stature and in almost every respect to that in the frontispiece to John Williams' 1839 edition of "A narrative of missionary enterprises in the South Sea islands..." London: John Snow, 1839. It differs only in the lack of tattooing, although traces of tattooing may be seen on the upper legs and left arm. Compared to that 1839 frontispiece, all the colouring is very faded, possibly owing to prolonged exposure to light

This work may have been influenced by a virtually contemporaneous work: "[Te Ipu, Marquesan chief]", by Charles Samuel Stewart, in his "A visit to the South Seas... London, 1837.] ATL has this at A-117-001.

Other Titles - Pou, Tepou, Tepo, Kurikuri, George Baxter

Inscriptions: Recto - beneath image - [Title]

The Library has a slightly variant version (from John Williams' "A narrative of missionary enterprises in the South Sea Islands" London: Williams, 1837) with heavily tattooed figure, at B-088-006.

Quantity: 1 colour art print(s) on page detached from book..

Physical Description: Coloured Baxter print, 136 x 82 mm, on page 190 x 124 mm.

Provenance: Previously from estate of P T Williams, and probably owned by a person with the initials D.W.S. in 1945.

Transfers: Photograph on backing board, now transferred to Photo Archive..