Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Papua New Guinea is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse countries in the world. With a population of around 10 million, it is home to more than 800 distinct languages and thousands of cultural groups, many of which maintain traditional practices, knowledge systems, and governance structures. Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, and English are the official languages, but local languages dominate daily village life, meaning multilingualism is the norm.
Diversity is also expressed through art, ritual, and performance. Ceremonial practices, such as singsings (gatherings with dance, music, and costume), vary widely across regions and are used to affirm alliances, resolve conflicts, and celebrate milestones.
Te Papa’s collection from Papua New Guinea includes impressive dance masks made from tapa (barkcloth), which were worn in the early 1900s during ceremonial rituals. View some of the masks and find out about their different uses.
Tribes in Papua New Guinea used these Eharo masks for a ritual celebration that could last for years. Made of cane, tapa cloth, and painted with natural pigments, they were usually burnt after use, which makes the ones at Te Papa especially rare.
Look Within 2 (2007) by Papua New Guinea artist Daniel Waswas depicts four images of the same person, conveying a message of self-reflection and addressing the idea of identity from within one’s own background.
Kapkaps, as ornaments like this are called, are found in parts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. These shell disks overlaid with delicate turtle shell filigree are much admired. Attached to a cord or woven band of fibre, they can be worn on the forehead, breast, or shoulder.
The women of Gona village, Papua New Guinea, made this cope (priest’s vestment) as a farewell gift for the Reverend Wardman in 1962. The Anglican missionary had lived and worked with the community for 12 years.
In the 1960s, Mrs Olive Merle Grice spent time in Papua New Guinea – view some of her photographs from that time.
From the 1980s–1990s The Phantom emerged on battle shields during a period of inter-tribal fighting in parts of the Papua New Guinea highlands. For a brief period, the Wahgi people re-painted old battle shields, including representations of ‘good guys’ like the Phantom to capture some of his symbolic power and incite fear amongst their opponents.
Conservator Catherine Williams investigates one of Te Papa’s acquisitions – a painted wooden shield from Papua New Guinea featuring The Phantom – from a conservation perspective.
These battle shields from Chimbu (Simbu) in the Papua New Guinea Highlands are significant for their cultural value and use in warfare among the Chimbu.
Missionary Reverend John Arthur Crump and his family lived on several islands in Papua New Guinea between 1894 and 1903. During that time, he took many photographs of life in Papua New Guinea. View some of them on Collections Online.
Browse some of our collections from Papua New Guinea, from masks, tapa, and shields, to weapons and currency.
Who said tattooing is ‘men’s’ work anyway? Watch a panel discussion from Te Papa inspired by the stories of women mark makers who are revitalising female tattooing in Aotearoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Sāmoa.
