A portrait of Queen Elizabeth with a traditional Maori tattoo has upset some Palmerston North residents, who believe it insults Maori and the Queen.
The print, at the Downtown Art & Framing store, features a young Queen Elizabeth with a moko on her chin and lips, the Manawatu Standard newspaper reported.
The date of the Treaty of Waitangi signing appears in Roman numerals next to the monarch.
Maori regarded the print was a breach of tikanga (Maori custom), which could result in bad luck for family members of the Queen and the artist.
Paeroa artist Barry Ross Smith, who created the artwork last year, said it was not intended as an attack on anyone.
He said the portrait of the Queen was a celebration, and the response had been overwhelmingly positive.
He had received negative emails about the print, but they were mostly from people with separatist beliefs.
Downtown Art & Framing store manager Cameron Autrobus said at least one copy of the print has been sold.
NZPA
source: newshub archive
