A SCULPTOR'S TRIALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 7

A SCULPTOR'S TRIALS.

* THE UNAPPRECI'ATiyE MAORI. .(i Tho Maorr of the old- school docs not care to ' lire in ;bronze. : ,,Thet;Government- is ' anxious to- preserve his= classic. features for j' tho*'admiratipn^6iE-VEOstfenfcy,ybut 'the Maori is not A chasing «immortality;.. To, Mr., . Nelson. ■ Hlingworth - was -' ehtrusted-* the important ■ task of ! fixing m bronze the distinctive Jlaori 1 facial'charactdristics: beforothey aro effaced' byciTiliscdlifoand.Europeanmter-marriagc.' - Mr. Illingworth had. scarcely, . entered on his work 'beforis :,ho'found; it,.;strewn -inth.' some peculiar; difficulties.-. .) .■ The ilo doubt,; would, rush the. opportunity "of'-gazing ~at : -.-'himself in bronze, "but'this. old.KativeSj- from: whom -Mr. Illuigworth desired sittings; as coming closer to tho . historic racial types,, hijd : notions. ot their; own upon..the .-matter...,- An -old .lady, who was : .told.that it was desired to-make, a bust of-hcr -in bronze-: was-.horrified,at the suggestion.-;' - ■Sho explained - at -last that • if; tho ' bdst was executed m; her likeness, her* . spirit would; ;mbsfc ' probably ' ■ take f ■ refuge • therein;; wHere'-itywbuld : bo' .confined pevpetu- - ally. ,No.'arguments could, persuade, her to - risk this fearful.doom; Other ancient Maoris of both-sexes,mado- ■ the same insuperable.' objection .£o,:'. becoming ■ V models/, and ; when;- in--some itv.was, : ' overcome, difficulties still : remained. Appoint-' ments'niade* for sittings Wre hat Sly ever kept,' and as for punctuality,; that:'was hopeless; Mr. lilingworth'sdon'decided; that .it was' vain to expect the Maoris tb-.coino.to him, bo ho determined; to go'to them.; Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum, i who has a largo knowledge, of the/Native " race, .set him in the trade of likely subjects, .' and tli6; sculptor, .*■ with: : liis ! ' tdbls " and;'-clay,', went 'portly' } into .. the' .wilderness.'''. . Auckland' district lie discovered his ' first sitter,fPiilara To Ttihi, 'a .fine old chief, .over 80 years of 1 age.,'; He would .never .havo allowed • any liberties' :tp', b6-'ltaken' with his aristocratic countenance", 'but ; Mr.t Illihgworith had thoroughly enlisted tlio assistance of, Mr.': Hone Hoke, 'MiK The ;Mao'fi membor. WTote-'a|_letter;.-.to : thei.old -.chieftain,.which; cause'd; k him:. to' .submit gracefully :, to tho -' strari"go..''prdeal;: ? - sfr',;; Illingworth,visited .him. , for; several successive "days';in., his?vwhare, dinod- with him, niado a friend, of hiin', ; and succeeded'in mating,..in thc.yharOj.a rough cast f of "his * features: '- "With/ some, soft clay lie also took a, separate impressionV'o'f. the, old chiefs tattoo ntatks;' In, most, paintings ' of Maoris , the moku "Js represented. as. . perfectly ■ regular in;'; appearance - and depthi but Mr.'.lllingworth;states, that'it js.not-so : in reality. as^tJie'lbntliiics. - - b'ecqtmtf'. wnrirddVin. -parts with time..'While the 'cast was 'being, made, half 'dozen other Maoris watchou tho work with interest, .. but without .appreciation. It. was,only .ii rough : cast; -and-, the - Natives formed'. ;a ' poor. opinion. of " Iringiwata " 'as a - sculptor, nor , had' they -' any. scruples aboutvinaking their opinion. known. ; ;i . Mr.' has 'returned fO' Wclling- , ton to work: on ; his 'first : Maori bust. ' The features' of ;Patara Te IMbj. will;, not., be reproduced exactly".;-' The object' of the sculptor, is to perpbtuate; an ancicnt. Maori type, and if To Turn's 'foatures havo departed at: any point from tho ancestral pattern, the sculptor will : conform them, in_.his_ model to the old ■ ideal.'. In'.'a". few,'weeks'' time ;MK', Illing- ■ worth) 'armedwith, letters from. tho,Maori members,' will' go back;, into , the, wilderness in qudst.of other subjects. :