A mummified head which has been kept in Warrington Museum & Art Gallery for 170 years, and believed to be that of “a South Sea island chief”, has been sent back to New Zealand following a repatriation ceremony in Warrington today (Friday 25 October 25).
Delegates from Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum in New Zealand, attended the traditional repatriation ceremony at Warrington Town Hall for the return of the “Toi moko”. 
Representatives from Culture Warrington, who run Warrington Museum, and Warrington Borough Council including the Mayor of Warrington Cllr Peter Carey and the leader of the council Cllr Terry O’Neill were also in attendance.
The Toi moko, which was stored in a special crate, (Pictured left) was brought to the Town Hall from the museum to be greeted by the Mayor and the leader of the council before being carried into the council chamber by the Te Papa delegation.
The signing of an official document by Cllr Terry O’Neill and delegates from Te Papa marked the handover of the Toi moko from Warrington Borough Council to the New Zealand authorities.
The New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner, Rob Taylor, and members of the New Zealand rugby team, who are playing in Warrington on Sunday as part of the Rugby League World Cup, also paid their respects to the Toi moko at the ceremony. 
Janice Hayes, Manager of Warrington Museum said:“Although we don’t know the precise origin of the head, in Maori culture the head is considered to be the most sacred part of the body and male warriors would have an intricate facial tattoo called a moko applied to give it additional sacred powers. After their death their head was smoked and dried in the sun to preserve it and ensure it was still possible to see their unique moko which allowed them to be identified, almost like a finger print. Because these Toi moko are so sacred to the Maori it is regarded as an insult even to show a photograph of one and the Museum removed the head from public view many years ago.”
Maureen Banner, Chair of Culture Warrington said: “Although Warrington Museum may currently be creating a Heritage Lottery Fund supported Cabinet of Curiosities gallery opening early 2014, there will be no place in this for the Toi moko because we appreciate that it is no longer appropriate to have this on show to the public. We’ve been prepared to repatriate the Toi moko for a while but the town’s role as a host venue for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup with teams from New Zealand and Samoa playing at our stadium seemed like an ideal opportunity to make the event happen”.
Cllr Terry O’Neill, Leader of Warrington Borough Council (pictured top at the handing over ceremony) said:“I am very proud of Warrington and its heritage, including our museum and our rugby league team. So it is doubly pleasurable to me that the repatriation brings together the historic collections of the museum and Warrington’s role as a host to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup”.
Illustration shows a Toi moko chief
