[Earle, Augustus] 1793-1838 :Portrait of Aranghi Tooker Chief of Cower Cower Bay of Islands, New Zealand, with his wife and son, painted at New Zealand. Augustus Earle - 27 Howland Street, Fitzroy Square

Shows three seated figures. Rangituke's wife is at his right side, his son seated at his feet. Rangituke holds a taiaha in his right hand, his son a long-barrelled musket. There is a waka huia (carved feather box) in front of Rangituke's feet. Another unidentified club-like object with a long wavy handle is on the right of the picture.

Title from inscription on verso in Earle's hand. See Earle, A. Narrative of a residence in New Zealand. Ed. by E H McCormick 1966 p. 125 & 136. An engraving after painting in: [King, P.P.] Narrative of the surveying voyages of Adventure and Beagle... v. 2. London, 1839. Note that engraving shows a tiki around neck of Rangituke's son which does not appear in the painting.

See also the text of the title and other information on a label held at Curios-020-027. The label appears to have once been attached to the back of the painting. It includes the information that the painting was once in the Duke of Grafton's gallery 'and doubtless found its way there through the connection of Earle with Admiral Fitzroy ... nephew of the Duke...'

Other Titles - Rangituke Kawakawa

Quantity: 1 oil(s).

Physical Description: Oil on canvas 840 x 650 mm

Provenance: Owned by the Duke of Grafton, uncle of Robert Fitzroy. (Fitzroy and Earle travelled together on the Beagle in 1834-1835). Purchased at Sotheby's, London, 27 June 1921, lot 122, for £20 by 'Rev. Fuller' [A W F Fuller] according to a pencilled annotation in a copy of Sotheby's catalogue for the sale. It was sold as part of the property of His Grace, the Duke of Grafton. The painting was still in the collection of A W F Fuller, in London in 1925. It probably remained in his collection until his death in 1961.