• Gift to the Collection

The Nelson Provincial Museum collects all types of material that strongly records the natural, cultural and social history of the Nelson Tasman region. We also act as kaitiaki to Māori Taonga and Taonga Tūturu which fall under specific guidelines for acquisition or deposit.

Donating an Object

Do you have something for us to consider for the Museum’s Collection? Please complete the donation assessment form below.

If you have any questions about donating an object to the Museum, please read our FAQs.

Collections Management Policy : This helps us decide which objects to collect

Māori Taonga and Taonga Tūturu

The museum welcomes all enquiries for the identification and return of taonga.

The acquisition of all taonga is reviewed against the strict criteria set out by the Protected Objects Act 1975 and is determined by the decisions of the Te Tai Ao Komiti [link]. The Komiti represents mana whenua iwi of Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Ātiawa.

Our Kaitiaki Taonga Māori can advise on a variety of matters, including whether the taonga satisfies the definition of “Taonga Tūturu” and must be registered with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. The Nelson Provincial Museum can assist with registering Taonga Tūturu, and we can safely care for these objects until the legal owner is declared by the Māori Land Court.

Taonga Tūturu

“Taonga Tūturu” means an object that

1) relates to Māori culture, history, or society; and

2) was, or appears to have been, -

  • i. manufactured or modified in New Zealand by Māori; or

  • ii. brought into New Zealand by Māori; or

  • iii. used by Māori; and

3) is more than 50 years old.

Retrospective Powers of the Protected Objects Act 1975:

All Taonga found after 1 Nov 2006 are prima facie Crown owned until the Māori Land Court make a determination of ownership.

All Taonga known to have been used or found before 1902 are prima facie Crowned owned and are referred to as Taonga Tūturu.

Any Taonga found between 1 April 1975 and 1 Nov 2006 that did not meet the definition of artefact [link to Act] (i.e. are not older than 1902) are not prima facie Crowned owned.

Donating Objects to the Collection FAQs

  • No, the museum will not accept donations in the mail or at the door. These are unsolicited donations. Please contact the museum first to discuss your donation.

  • Unsolicited donations compromise the limited resources and staff time available to care for the permanent collection and also threaten the safety of staff and collections. All unsolicited donations will be removed from the museum under the terms of the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1975 if the owner cannot be found.

  • The museum has clear guidelines for accepting taonga into the collection. Please refer to the guidelines for more information.

  • The museum welcomes all enquiries regarding the identification and return of taonga even if it was found or acquired somewhere else in New Zealand. Please refer to the guidelines page for more information.

  • We are happy to work with people who are explicitly authorised by the donor to facilitate a donation.

  • Yes but bequests are still subject to prior approval. A copy of the Will must be lodged with the museum once the material is approved for acquisition.

  • The curators are happy to answer research requests but due to the volume of enquiries a response can take 2 weeks. Any extensive research is subject to a fee.

  • No. It is unethical for the museum to give appraisals. If you need an appraisal contact an auction house that specialises in antiques or art.

  • The collection policy outlines the criteria for assessing all donation offers. We also take into account any existing holdings of similar or related objects and the available resources in the museum to care for the material. We also review the donation offer against any existing strategic collecting priorities.

  • Up to 3 months depending on the amount of research required. Most donation offers are reviewed by the acquisition committee which meets every 2 months and donors are notified of a decision soon after.

  • All donation offers must still be reviewed against all existing processes and criteria but it is helpful to know in advance if the timing of a donation offer is limited.

  • A donation is a legal transfer of property to the museum and the museum requires evidence of this transaction. The donation form also records the provenance, significance and incoming condition of the object which will become part of the object’s permanent record. The donor will receive a copy of the signed donation agreement for their own records.

  • No. We don’t share the name or contact details of donors without explicit permission from the donor except as required by law. Donors can stipulate if they would like public attribution of the donation e.g. “Donated by…” but the museum is not obliged to display this information in every instance.

  • A donation of your own material can be recorded in the name of someone else with permission or legal evidence that you are allowed to do so e.g. “Donated in memory of…”, “Donated by the Smith family….”

  • A donation can only be returned to the donor if it satisfies any of the criteria for deaccession in the collection policy and is approved for deaccession by the CEO and/or Board.

  • Any object that is deaccessioned from the museum is disposed of according to the criteria stipulated in Museum Aotearoa’s Code of Ethics, which includes returning the object to the original donor or their descendants in the first instance.

  • Deaccession activity is not common but is necessary at times to ensure that the collection is aligned with the mission of the museum. Deaccessions are guided by strict policies and procedures.

  • Yes. The museum collects born-digital material provided it satisfies the collection policy, resources and acquisition priorities of the museum.

  • No. The museum only collects original material especially if it is still protected by Copyright. The museum may make an exception if no known original of the material exists elsewhere.

  • No. The current condition or completeness of an object may be important to its story.

  • No. In many cases, objects are irreversibly damaged or their story is compromised if they are physically changed before the museum has had a chance to review them. Unless you are acting on the advice of a trained conservator, don’t clean the object before offering it for donation, this includes washing or dry-cleaning textiles.

  • The museum reviews all acquisitions according to the same criteria, a price does not increase the value of the object to the museum. The museum tends to direct its limited resources to preserving rather than growing the permanent collection.