The title on this is Australia label, looks like New Zealand - Maori traditional dress but knowing Kiwis the last thing they would wish would be to be called Australian. Having said that, Australians would have a similar attitude but in reverse. This Mason image itself shows a heavily tattooed person with feathers in their hair and a typical Maori cloak. I wonder how that got into the Mason collection?

UPDATE: Thanks very much for all of the fascinating contributions on this gentleman, who turned out to be Māori chief, Terero Tamati, (thanks BeachcomberAustralia). We got great information on the original New Zealand photographer, Elizabeth Pulman, from suckindeesel. Besides being a photographer, Pulman was an early proponent of photographic copyright protection, and her efforts resulted in its introduction into New Zealand law. We're indebted to Blue Mountains Library, Local Studies in NSW, Australia for beautifully detailed information about the tattoos, feathers, and ornamentation evident in the photograph of this Māori chief, Terero Tamati.

Photographer: Elizabeth Pulman

Collection: Mason Photographic Collection

Date: 1890 - 1910

NLI Ref: M51/3

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

Info:

Owner: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Source: Flickr Commons
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