Tonga

Browse the collections from Tonga

View elements of Tongan life from kato alu (ceremonial baskets), woodcarving, figurative sculptures, and ngatu (bark cloth), to Kava Clubs and Black Fowls.

Four women stand together behind a very pink and sparkly quilt laid out on a drawer

Watch: Pacific Curators talk about Tongan koloa

Dr. Dianne Sika-Paotonu (Otago University), Curator Pacific Cultures Emelihter Kihleng, Kaitiaki Taonga Mama Grace, and Melanie Ioane-Warren talk to Brian Sagala from the Pacific Days team at 531 PI about some of Te Papa’s Tongan collections.

a black facemask with the image of a mouth with red lips, white teeth and a single gold tooth

Face mask Tonga Flag Nifo Gold

This is a face mask produced by Tongan artist Czarina Wilson, as part of her Pacific-inspired accessories, homeware and art brand Kingdom Design, and is an example of how many Pacific makers and artists redirected their making skills and business efforts to create personal protective gear in the fight against Covid-19.

A brown and cream tapa cloth with patterns painted on it.

Tongan ngatu – marking moments in time

Ngatu are often decorated with motifs and patterns taken from the natural environment or associated with important people and events. Some of the events may be small and very local in nature, others reference bigger moments in time.

Screenshot of a video of head and shoulders of a woman talking to camera.

Queen Sālote on the world stage

The idea that Tongan people carry wisdom with them wherever they go is best evidenced in the leadership of the late Queen Sālote (1900–1965), the beloved monarch of Tonga.

A photo of the British Queen and the Tongan queen walking on a waterfront. There is a ceremonial car parked nearby.

Queen Sālote of Tonga (1900–65) composer and poet

Queen Sālote died in 1965, she was deeply mourned. She was a loved and respected monarch who contributed greatly to the preservation and of Tongan culture and the creative use of the Tongan language.

This image depicts a group of women in Tonga mixing kava

Kava drinking and Tongan culture

The most important use of kava is in meetings and ceremonies. Kava is also consumed informally, sometimes in kava clubs, which are also important venues for the preservation of the Tongan language and culture.

A paper cloth with designs on it. It's sepia and brown in colour

Decorating ngatu (Tongan tapa)

Ngatu is the Tongan name for tapa or decorated barkcloth, which is often hand-painted with dividing lines, numbers and sometimes small designs on the borders taken from the natural environment or associated with important people and events. Some of the events may be small and very local in nature, others reference bigger moments in time.

A group of young men and women pose for a photo - they are all wearing the same outfit

Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘aki ‘a e Ako Lelei (Enriching Aotearoa with holistic education)

The theme for 2021 Uike Kātoanga‘i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga | Tongan Language Week was “Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘aki ‘a e Ako Lelei”, which means enriching Aotearoa with holistic education. Guest writer Malia Pole‘o shines a light on how holistic education is beneficial for Tongan learners today – and for future generations.

Black and white photo of the back and leg of a tattooed man

Tongan tattooing: Reconnecting to fonua across time and space through the art of tātatau

Guest author Tufunga Tātatau (specialist in Tongan tattoo) Terje Koloamatangi discusses the origins and uses of the Tongan custom of tātatau or tattooing.

Tongan Language Week resource

Early childhood, Primary, Secondary

Download our resource and learn Tongan words, phrases, and pronunciation, and explore aspects of Tongan culture.

Education resource

‘Akau-ta – Tongan fighting clubs

Pacific Cultures collections have just over 1000 artefacts associated with Tonga. Here, Curator Sean Mallon takes a look at an ‘akau tau (war club) made in the 1700s.

Restoring a Tongan ngatu hingoa (barkcloth) commemorating WWII

Conservator Textiles Anne Peranteau talks about the conservation treatment of an important Tongan ngatu hingoa, or barkcloth, that commemorates the WWII war effort of Queen Sālote Tupou III and the Tongan people.

A tin oil drum with cow hide stretched on both ends. There are two drumsticks in the foreground.

Nafa and Nafa: the drum beats of Tonga

Drumming is a significant part of Pacific life and cultural performances. Historically in Tonga, the drum called nafa were wooden slit drums and the first written accounts about the nafa appear in journals written by personnel on English explorer James Cook’s visit to Tonga in 1773.

Countering stereotypes through co-collecting with Tongan youth

As part of our co-collecting initiative with the Tongan community, students have been considering what truly represents them and counters stereotypical representations. Curator Pacific Art, Nina Tonga highlights some of the students and their selected objects.

A teenage girl in a school uniform holding pandanus seed necklace and a booklet, standing in front of a dark red wooden wall

Revisiting the Tongan co-collecting stories of Project 83: Small Things Matter

We revisit the stories of the ‘youth agents’ of Project 83: Small Things Matter. This co-collecting project was developed by the Year 13 Tongan language class of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in 2017.

Men sitting on the ground outside performing a ceremony with kava

Watch: Kava Clubs and Black Fowls

‘Boy meets girl’ happens all over the world, but in some cultures, a ‘Black Fowl’ or close friend is needed to move things along. In Tonga, the Black Fowl entertains the parents with a kava ceremony while the boy and girl have some time to get to know each other.

Quiz: Tongan Language

How’s your basic Tongan? Time to brush up using Tongan objects from Te Papa’s collection. Give it a go and have fiefia (fun)!