In 2019, Rachel Yates (Vaisala, Savaii), then Curator Pacific Cultures, lead the acquisition of one of Alexander Shaw’s tapa samplers into our collection. The samplers represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga and was presented as a gift by the Te Papa Foundation, purchased with Charles Disney Art Trust funds.
In 2023, ‘Ahu: ngā wairua o Hina, a wānanga attended by makers, Te Papa curators, and our Senior Librarian, was held in Tahiti to explore and respond to the samplers in the book.