A Heva Tūpāpā’u, also known as a Mourner's Dress, is a costume traditionally worn in Tahiti as part of mourning ceremonies. It was traditionally worn after the death of an important person in Tahiti culture, in a ceremony that could last weeks or months.[1] Very few Heva Tūpāpā’u survive today.[2]

Examples of materials used to make Heva Tūpāpā’u include coconut fibers and coconut shells, pearls, feathers, and barkcloth, all of which were considered "ritually significant".[2]

It is estimated that James Cook brought approximately 10 Heva Tūpāpā’u back with him to Europe in 1775 after collecting them during his expeditions.[2] The Heva Tūpāpā’u also inspired paintings by famous European artists such as Herman Spöring Jr,[2] and Sarah Stone.[3] The British Museum describes a Heva Tūpāpā’u held in their museum as "one of the most important objects in the British Museum's collections."[2]

Museum collections

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Examples of Heva Tūpāpā’u are present in museums in Hawaii, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.The following institutions contain either a complete or partial Heva Tūpāpā’u in their collections.

Further reading

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References

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  1. ^ "Conservation case study: Tahitian mourner's costume". www.prm.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Pullan, Monique (31 May 2019). "Reimagining a Tahitian mourning costume | British Museum". www.britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  3. ^ Keen, Suzie (2023-09-07). "A rare view of an enigmatic artist's life and work". InReview. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  4. ^ a b "BBC - A History of the World - Object : Tahitian mourner's costume". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  5. ^ "Treasures of the Museum". Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  6. ^ RAMMuseumExeter (2021-07-16). Treasures of the Museum: Tahitian Mourner's costume. Retrieved 2024-05-18 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Heva Tūpāpā'u (Mourning costume)". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
  8. ^ "Heva Tūpāpā'u (Mourning costume)". digitalpasifik.org. Retrieved 2024-05-18.