Inscription in artist's hand on stretcher verso reads: Fought at Pukerangiora 'An Aristocrat' A noted Chieftain of the Ngatimakata Tribe, Aged 90 Years Whilst Goldie's inscription reads Ngatimakata Tribe, it is known that Te Kamaka was from the Ngati Maniapoto Tribe, King Country Provenance: Private Collection, Wellington. Held in Wellington bank vault since 1974. Released for exhibition Goldie, The Exhibition, Auckland Art Gallery, 1999

Exhibited: Goldie, The Exhibition, Auckland Art Gallery, 1999, curated by Roger Blackley.

Ex collection of F. R. Strange, Sydney, Australia. Subsequently sold by private sale August 1974 to the current owner's father

References/ Publications: F. R. Strange Catalogue, July 1974

Illustrated p. 261 C. F. Goldie, His Life & Painting Alister Taylor & Jan Glen, Martinborough 1977

Goldie painted at least four other portraits of Te Kamaka. They are catalogued in C. F. Goldie, His Life & Painting Alister Taylor & Jan Glen, Martinborough 1977, as follows: Te Kamaka, 1916, Private Collection, The Diplomatist, Te Kamaka - a chieftain of the Ngati Maniopoto, Tribe, King Country, 1918, Private Collection, The Whitening Snows of a Venerable End - Te Kamaka, 1918, An Aristocrat, Te Kamaka, 1921

The Diplomatist, The Whitening Snows of a Venerable End & The Aristocrat were titles Goldie used for other Chieftain subjects at the time.

The Aristocrat is presented in a Goldie frame, commissioned by Auckland Art Gallery for the exhibition, Goldie, 1999.

Te Kamaka fought in the historical battle of Pukerangiora on the shores of the Waitara River, Taranaki. It is understood that on arrival at Pukerangiora, the Ngati Maniatopo tribe embarked on a siege of such savagery that the land ran red with blood and Pukerangiora was forever changed.