CF Goldie's portrait of Rakapa - an Arawa chieftainess - has sold at the top of an auction of New Zealand art held by the International Art Centre in Auckland.
![]() The painting has not appeared at auction since the 1940s |
The piece, exhibited at London's Royal Academy in 1927, sold for $234,500 on July 31.
Rakapa was originally from the Otaki people, but married into the Arawa tribe. Her waiata (traditional Maori songs) are still sung by the Rotorua Maori elders today.
CF Goldie (1840-1947) was a prominent Auckland artist, famed for his depictions of Maori elders. He was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935, and was later appointed with an OBE for his services to art in New Zealand.
The artist chose to paint Rakapa on five separate occasions, with this considered to be one of the finest portrayals. She is seen bearing traditional moko (face tattoos), greenstone earrings and a talisman tiki.
Also featuring in the sale was Alvin Pankhurt's About Time, which set a new world record for the artist at $55,000, achieving an 83.3% increase on its pre-sale estimate of $20,000-30,000.
Seven out of the nine Ralph Hotere artworks offered in the sale were sold, with the top sellers Winter Solstice at $43,900 and Mungo at $36,300.
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