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Museum of New Zealand

Te Papa Tongarewa

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Tonga

  • An ornately carved wooden hook

    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.

  • 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.

  • Ngatu (tapa cloth)

    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

  • A long carved wooden club

    ‘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.

  • 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.

  • A student stand with a trumpet in a box

    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.

  • 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.

  • Hand-drawn map of Tonga

    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)!