AUCKLAND (Radio New Zealand International/ Pacific Media Watch): Shower curtains, cushions and t-shirts featuring Māori portraits and images of a shrunken Māori head (mokomōkai) were found to be on sale on an American website.
Musician Moana Maniapoto and Māori researcher Aroha Mead, who spoke to Radio New Zealand International, have deemed the use of these images on Fine Art America as culturally inappropriate.
The use of images including Gottfried Lindauer portraits of Māori chiefs, that were on sale shocked Maniapoto.
"I just can't actually imagine the bad taste of the people who want something like that, you know? And cushions you sit your little nono on."
Mead said a group engaged in an online education discussion with one artist who had used an image of a shrunken head.
"I gave him the benefit of the doubt, because what I've found is that in a lot of these instances people are just unaware of the cultural sensitivities - and nine times out of 10 if people are told what they're doing it is causing offence they will want to stop it."
RNZI have reported that the images have since been removed from the website.
However a follow-up article released Wednesday afternoon said a portrait of a girl in traditional Māori dress had also been “stolen” by the same website who sold the image without permission.
The girl in the portrait posed for a photograph wearing a piupiu across her shoulder and a moko on her chin at a festival on Waitangi Day in 2015.
The photo of the young girl was being sold on the site for between $6.60, for a greeting card, and $147, for a printed duvet cover.
Her father, Simon, who wanted only his first name used, said her image had been stolen to be sold around the world.
He told RNZI that he didn't notice anyone else taking photos at the time but, given the photo was off-centre, it appeared someone had taken a shot from the side.
"It's disgusting, you know. You see a picture on the net and you don't really associate it with being on duvets, coffee cups and mats but, as it comes to light, it seems that's what's going to happen."
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