Major General Horatio Gordon Robley and His Collection of Māori Tattooed Heads
Major-General Horatio Gordon Robley was an enigmatic figure in British military history, known not only for his distinguished service during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s but also for his passion for ethnology and the art of tattooing. A talented illustrator, Robley was particularly captivated by the intricate facial tattoos, known as moko, worn by the Māori people of New Zealand. This fascination culminated in his publication of the book Māori Tattooing in 1896, a comprehensive study of the tattooing traditions of the Māori.
However, Robley’s legacy is most prominently linked to his controversial collection of mokomokai—the preserved, tattooed heads of Māori individuals, which, by the end of his life, numbered 35. His obsession with these cultural artefacts reflected a broader Victorian-era curiosity with the "exotic" and the "other," though it also intersected with darker elements of colonial exploitation and trade.
The Significance of Moko and Mokomokai in Māori Culture
For the Māori, moko tattoos held deep social and spiritual significance. Facial moko were traditionally reserved for men, though high-ranking women would often have moko on their lips and chins. These tattoos served as powerful symbols of identity, lineage, and status, intricately connecting individuals with their ancestors and their tribes. Moko designs were unique to each person, detailing their genealogy and their achievements.
When a person of high status died, their head was often preserved as a mokomokai, a practice reserved for both venerated ancestors and fallen enemies. The process of preservation was a highly specialised and sacred ritual. First, the brain and eyes were removed, and all orifices were sealed with flax fibre and gum. The head would then be boiled or steamed, smoked over an open fire, and left to dry in the sun for several days. Finally, it was treated with shark oil, creating a lasting tribute to the individual. The heads of loved ones were carefully stored in ornately carved boxes and brought out only for sacred ceremonies, while the preserved heads of enemies were displayed as trophies of war, sometimes mocked or used in rituals of humiliation.
Mokomokai also played a pivotal role in diplomatic negotiations. During times of war, the exchange of preserved heads between rival tribes could serve as a peace offering, a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and respect.
Mokomokai as Trade Items: The Impact of European Contact
The arrival of European settlers in New Zealand in the early 19th century marked the beginning of a period of profound social upheaval for the Māori people. European traders, particularly those involved in the trade of firearms, introduced new and powerful weapons to Māori tribes, sparking the Musket Wars—a series of bloody conflicts between rival iwi (tribes). Those tribes with early access to firearms gained significant military advantages over their neighbours, leading to widespread destabilisation and increased demand for weapons.
During this tumultuous period, mokomokai became highly sought-after trade items. European collectors, sailors, and settlers expressed an insatiable curiosity for Māori artefacts, particularly the tattooed heads, which were seen as exotic curiosities. Māori chiefs, desperate to obtain firearms and ammunition, began to trade mokomokai with European traders. The heads, which had once held immense cultural and spiritual value, were now commodities in a global marketplace.
This new trade led to darker practices, including the tattooing of slaves and prisoners with meaningless motifs in order to create heads for sale. Raids on neighbouring tribes became more frequent, as the need for firearms intensified. Between 1820 and 1831, the peak years of the mokomokai trade, Māori tribes found themselves embroiled in a cycle of violence and commodification, as the preservation and sale of tattooed heads became intertwined with survival and power.
Robley’s Collection of Mokomokai
It was against this backdrop of colonial exploitation that Horatio Gordon Robley began to amass his collection of mokomokai. Robley’s time in New Zealand as a British army officer afforded him unique access to Māori communities, where he developed a fascination with their tattooing practices. His skills as an artist allowed him to meticulously document moko designs, and his passion for ethnology drove him to collect Māori artefacts, particularly tattooed heads, which had by then become a rare and sought-after commodity in European and American museums.
After returning to England, Robley built up a significant collection of 35 mokomokai. In 1908, he offered to sell the collection to the New Zealand government for £1,000, hoping to preserve these cultural treasures in their homeland. His offer, however, was refused. Eventually, with the exception of five heads, the collection was sold to the Natural History Museum in New York for £1,250, where it remains today.
The Decline and Revival of Moko
By the mid-19th century, the practice of facial moko had largely faded, partly due to the decline in traditional Māori societal structures following European colonisation. However, in the late 20th century, there was a cultural resurgence, as Māori communities sought to revive and preserve their heritage. The revival of moko tattooing, now viewed as an essential part of Māori identity and cultural pride, reflects a reclaiming of practices that were nearly lost through colonisation and commodification.
Legacy and Controversy
Robley’s collection of mokomokai remains controversial today. While he was driven by a genuine respect for Māori art and culture, his role as a collector of such sacred objects is intertwined with the broader exploitation of Māori cultural heritage by Europeans. The trade in mokomokai, fuelled by colonial demand, commodified what were once sacred artefacts of immense cultural and spiritual significance. Today, many mokomokai have been repatriated to New Zealand, where they are treated with the reverence and respect they deserve.
Robley’s contributions to the study of moko, through his book and his illustrations, remain valuable records of a cultural tradition that was nearly extinguished. Yet his role as a collector of Māori heads serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and contradictions of colonial encounters.
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