Baie Houa-Houa, Naturels exécutant une danse à bord de l'Astrolabe (Nouvelle-Zélande), [Uawa/Tolaga Bay, Natives Performing a Haka on Board the Astrolabe (New Zealand)]

This illustration from Tolaga Bay, on New Zealand’s east coast, is a rare record of a memorable encounter – the haka (gestural dance) which was performed on board the Astrolabe. Captured mid-action, the unison of the dancers and the swaying of their skirts conveys a rhythmic movement. Their faces filled with passion, with eyes and arms raised to the sky, they would have made an impression both on the sailors and on the print’s European audience.

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