Maori Meeting House, Ruatepupuke II

The Maori community at Tokomaru Bay, New Zealand originally built this house in 1881. They named it Ruatepupuke II after their renowned ancestor who brought the art of carving to the world - the large gable mask carved at the roof summit represents Ruatepupuke. This house was later dismantled and eventually ended up in Germany, from where the Museum purchased it in 1905. In 1992, the Museum collaborated with the people of Tokomaru Bay to restore the house and move it from the ground floor to the Regenstein Pacific Halls where it stands today. This remarkable house or wharenui is perhaps the finest of only three 19th-century meeting houses outside of New Zealand. The house and the surrounding area around the house or marae serves as a spiritual outpost for sharing Maori culture and history. Today the Museum also encourages diverse communities to host encounters on the marae to promote cultural exchange and understanding.