A Portrait by Gottfried Lindauer 3 This portrait in oil on canvas was bought by the current owner from art auctioneers George Walker Ltd in Queen Street, Auckland in the 1960s when it accompanied a companion portrait of the famous chief Wi Tako. This portrait was reputedly the wife of Wi Tako, Mereana Ngamai, a wahine-rangatira of Ngati Rahiri hapu of Te Atiawa iwi, originally of Taranaki, who had migrated to the Wellington district. The chief Te Wharepouri was her first cousin, and her parents were Rawiri te Motutere and Tapaki-marae. We have been unable to find an image of Ngamai that confirms this statement whereas her famous husband is well recorded. The portrait evidently dates to circa 1880 (judging from similar works held by the AAG, the Fletcher Trust Collection and others), this fact suggests that the sitter would be too young to be Ngamai at that period. Perhaps the sitter is Wi Tako’s daughter Te Amo Hohipine Wi Tako-Love and in the 60s the auction house had made a mis-attribution of mother instead of daughter. Typically meticulous care has been applied by the artist in recording the details of the sitter’s, costume, elegant Victorian jewellery and particularly her moko. No doubt in time from this signature tattoo the subject’s name will be confirmed. Recently the portrait has been appropriated by the contemporary artist Heather Straka in her study ‘The Virgin of Seven Sorrows’. $30 000 - $40 000
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