Rangimahora Reihana-Mete (née Leonard; 25 January 1899 — 29 December 1993) was a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Māori tohunga raranga (master weaver) and

textile artist Textile arts are arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects. Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization. The methods and materials use ...

. She was affiliated with the

Ngāti Raukawa Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi (tribe) with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupō and Manawatū/ Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa. History Early history Ngāti ...

iwi. Her artworks are held in the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa ( Māori for ' the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand ...

(Te Papa). In 1974 she was awarded the

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

and in 1992 the Order for Meritorious Service from Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa.

Biography

Reihana-Mete was born on 25 January 1899 to noted weaver Ranginui Parewahawaha Leonard in Maungatautari. She moved to Foxton in 1920 and continued to live there for the remainder of her life. During her lifetime Reihana-Mete travelled extensively in New Zealand passing on her traditional skills and knowledge in weaving and other Māori crafts. She also served as a judge for events organised by the

Māori Women's Welfare League The Māori Women’s Welfare League or Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora is a New Zealand welfare organisation focusing on Māori people, Māori women and children. It held its first conference in Wellington, New Zealand, Wellington in Sept ...

. She died on 29 December 1993, and is buried in Himatangi.

Art

A cloak made by Reihana-Mete was presented to the British High Commissioner George Fergusson by the

iwi. Te Papa also holds a collection of Reihana-Mete's work. In 1993 works by Reihana-Mete formed part of the exhibition ''Ngā puna roimata o Te Arawa'' held at Te Papa that also featured works by Te Hikapuhi Wiremu Poihipi and Mākereti Papakura. In 2006 a retrospective of her life and work was held in Foxton. This exhibition inspired the formation of the Te Taitoa Māori o Te Awahou Trust which has the mission of sharing Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga culture.

Family

Reihana-Mete was married twice. Her first husband was Pitihera Reihana who died in 1954. Her second husband was Whitu Mete. Her granddaughter Pip Devonshire is also a noted weaver.

Honours and awards

In the

1974 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1974 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countrie ...

, Reihana-Mete was awarded the

, for services to Māori culture. In 1992, Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa awarded Reihana-Mete the Order for Meritorious Service for her fundraising work including creating items for sale at church shop days. A mural depicting Reihana-Mete weaving was created by Mike Jull and Michael Barclay on the main street of Foxton next to the Westpac Bank.

Exhibitions

* ''The work of Rangimahora Reihana-Mete'', War Memorial Hall, Foxton, 2006. *''Ngā puna roimata o Te Arawa'', Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 1993.

References

External links

Image of Rangimahora Reihana-Mete
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reihana-Mete, Rangimahora 1899 births 1993 deaths Ngāti Raukawa people New Zealand Māori weavers New Zealand weavers New Zealand artists New Zealand women textile artists People from Waikato New Zealand recipients of the British Empire Medal