Credit: © The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.9214
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    ‘Head of Otegoowgoow, Son of a New Zealand Chief...’

    Date
    1773
    Sitter
    Otegoowgoow (Polynesian)
    Creator
    Thomas Chambers (1724 - 1789, British) , Engraver
    After
    Sydney Parkinson (1740 - 1771, British) , Draftsman
    Object type
    Library reference
    58306
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 265mm
    width (print): 195mm
    Subject
    Description
    Portrait of Otegoowgoow in left profile, shown with his hair in a bun, a long earring and traditional face tattoos, tatua.

    Illustration from A journal of a voyage to the South Seas, in His Majesty's ship, The Endeavour, by Sydney Parkinson (London, 1773), which was published posthumously.

    Sydney Parkinson (c.1745-1771) Scottish natural history artist and Joseph Banks's (1743–1820) illustrator on board HMS Endeavour's voyage to the Pacific in 1768, under Lieutenant James Cook (1728-1779).

    Endeavour's mission was to observe the Transit of Venus, which they did from Tahiti on 3rd June 1769, and explore, claim resources and trade in the 'unknown southern land', Terra Australis Incognita, including New Zealand.

    Otegoowgoow (active 1769), also known by Otegoongoon, was the son of a Māori chief of the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. This is where he first encountered Endeavour's expedition party and was wounded by a gun fired from onboard.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Oceania
          > New Zealand
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