MAORIS SYMBOLISED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1038, 31 July 1930, Page 1

MAORIS SYMBOLISED

TOURISTS’ DEMANDS MET AUCKLANDER’S INITIATIVE y .*? r . s a S°. American Vl *' tln a Auckland asked J'sa Jean Leslie, of “Dunholme,” ...T-m’'** R ° ad ’ if would be jossible to obtain models typifying ■Mon women as interesting "O'jvemre of New Zealand. ■few Zealand had not thought of the probability of such inquiries from ii" riS * S " True, it is possible to buy j! o£ manufacture outside the <>minioD. more often than not, greenfashioned in pseudo-Maori dephis, and a host of trivial articles to be identical with Polynesian art in New Zealand. There was nothing .to typify Maori e - Miss Leslie was impressed with e request of the tourists. She offered Prize at the Y.W.C.A. for the best no el of a wall in e. There were several models made excellently in a Ss, but they were scarcely suitable , 0r * he tourists’ requirements/ Miss eslie immediately had Mr. Schmidt, Auckland artist, prepare a model J ,‘ a laori woman in plasticine—and •en there was another difficulty, rough the absence of facilities in ‘ ®w Zealand, the model had to be sent 0 Germany to be dyed in correct colWhen it was returned, Miss Blie found that an Italian firm in /fetch urch could manufacture -aster casts of the original model. An market with great Hostilities was before her. convf ty tlie sc reproductions arc to Auc kland weekly. They \.uPainted by Miss Jacobsen, of nd ’ in correct colours. The turm are stl 'ihing and likely to cap2eai intere st <«f tourists and New of a?,* as well. The figure is that 01 ** girl, m?de » an(l in a sitting

ancient tattoo a nri*^T* e are tattoo markings of of »k days 011 the lips and the chin i 3 - 1 ?, 0 Slri, and a head of black hair is pj hy a red band. The model •S? ht and a-half inches high, this n o ere * s undoubtedly a demand for thj R thing,” Miss Leslie said iilcr Tuv° rn . in ®' “The idea of representing, Maori womanhood is entirely origgreat?.o? lam satisfied it will appeal” fo-ftV?, ° tourists.” The question bethA Miss Leslie now, is the disposal of .reproductions in the most satistirjfy manner. She has already hold .f tCps to Protect her idea and Ulodpi # e ew Zealand rights for the some years to come, deivo believes that her cnnotio° Ur Will repudiate completely the that ex P by some newspapers anvtKi ew Zealand does not possess iw> r ning typical. She maintains that tha vr 6 can tail to be interested in fenr ~~ a ° ld race and that the plaster Wol® eatation ß symbolise Maori g*anhood in a fitting manner. Maori ° U if )ted!y ’ the ancient art of the an A , ,“ as been completely lost, and enw Pc . k,ander bas been sufficiently o freH« in * to devise another way of visitors a New Zealand It , representing the Maori race, to o K* lrT } ost an impossibility in 1930 Sfertuk * n Maori articles of pretimes, and tourists can With ts *** expected to be impressed (,f e Sreat number of crude copies todav ° r * art o fffikr * lr,£? in New Zealand