Provenance

Private Collection, England until mid 1940s

Acquired by V E Donald, Masterton

Private Collection, Auckland

A newspaper article affixed verso reads: London, May 24, 1927. Another of Mr C F Goldie's three Academy pictures has been sold. The purchaser is a lady who lives in the South of England. She has chosen Memories, a Chieftainess of the Arawa Maori. Even before the Royal Academy opened to the public, Mr Goldie's An Aristrocrat - Atama Paparangi A Chieftain of the Rarawas - bore the distinctive red seal which indicates 'Sold'. Memories was priced on the official chart at £262.10.

Originally of Otaki, Rakapa married into Arawa and her waiata were and remain the songs of Rotorua Maori elders as well as those of the Ngati-Toa and Ngati-Raukawa. Rakapas's family by marriage, fought for the colonial government in the North Island Land Wars of the mid-19th century.

C F Goldie chose to paint Rakapa on at least five occasions, three times in 1910 and twice in 1911. Another, but slightly smaller version is illustrated p. 215 C F Goldie: His Life & Painting, Alister Taylor & Jan Glen, 1979. Immaculately portrayed, the artist's masterful treatment of wrinkled skin and greying hair encourages closer scrutiny. This favoured subject bears traditional moko, pounamu/greenstone earings and talisman tiki.

Rakapa was the daughter of Rangi-Topeora and Te Wehi-o-te rangi of Otaki. In the Wellington district Rangi-Topeora, of Ngati-Toa, was known as a great poetess. She gained celebrity for her masterful character and for the number of songs she composed and chanted, from affectionate addresses to her various lovers to virulent kai-oraora or cursing chants against her enemies.

Her daughter Rakapa, of Otaki, who became the wife of the late Petera te Pukuatua, of the Arawa, inherited Topeora's poetic gifts, and her waiata are favourite songs among the Rotorua elders.