"Native Meeting House, NZ". Albumen photograph Christmas card.
New Zealand: Ca 1885. Image is of a carved Maori meeting house with a large group of indigenous people (Maori men, women and children) dressed in western attire posed in front of the building's ornately decorated facade. Amongst the group, all dressed in their Sunday best clothing, is a European dressed in a dark suit, with the words "Merry Christmas" above him.
A wharenui (big house) is the communal meeting house of the Maori people of New Zealand. The houses are often elaborately carved inside and out with stylized images of the tribe's ancestors, in the tribe's unique patterns. This meeting house was newly constructed, with a large glass window next to the door.
6 x 4", laid down on card stock. The Christmas greeting captioned in white. Faint outline of old sticky tape (now removed) at top of image; card corners rubbed. Good + overall. Item #24771
Price: $175.00