Paris, 4 October 2011
As the exhibition “Maori, their treasures have a soul” comes to an end, the Musée du Quai Branly and France plan to officially return all the Maori warrior heads that French museums hold in their collections, back to New Zealand in January 2012 .
Until now, this was a complicated matter between both countries but the polemic was solved thanks to a new law introduced in May 2010: all Maori heads taken by French museums must be restored. This sees around twenty Maori heads being given back to New Zealand. Musée du Quai Branly will host a restoration ceremony at the end of the exhibition.
It is important to note that last May, the city of Rouen has already returned a mummified and tattooed head of a Maori warrior, to its original country. Furthermore, many countries such as Denmark, Great Britain, Netherlands and Germany have responded in a positive manner to New Zealand’s request.