A MAORI head which has been kept in Warrington Museum since 1843 is to be returned to New Zealand.

Museum bosses say the mummified head, a Toi moko, will be given to a national museum in New Zealand during a ceremony held in the autumn to tie in with the Rugby League World Cup.

New Zealand will take on Samoa in the town on October 27.

The head has not been on display in the museum for many years because even showing a picture of it is seen to be an insult to Maori people.

Janice Hayes, the museum’s manager, said: “We don’t know the precise origin of the head.

“We do know that the Maoris used to preserve severed heads for two reasons – either to venerate a loved one, or to ridicule an enemy defeated in battle.

“But we also know that some Maoris, when they learned that Europeans would pay gold for the old artefacts, began to manufacture more heads for sale.

“But in any case, Te Papa Tongarewa, one of the national museums of New Zealand has been asking for all such artefacts to be repatriated, at their expense, and Warrington Borough Council, which currently legally owns the head, has decided to return it.”

Clr Kate Hannon is the council’s executive board member for leisure and culture.

“We’re proud to have had this Toi moko in Warrington Museum for all this time, and there’s a lot that can be learned from artefacts like this,” she said.

“But we think it’s right and proper that the head should be returned to New Zealand. Human remains like this are of great cultural importance to the Maoris, and we’re very happy to see to it that the Toi moko is returned to where it came from a century and a half ago.”

Janice said: “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.”

Te Papa Tongarewa says it will want to conduct a ceremony at Warrington Museum, to thank the museum for its care of the head, before the New Zealand authorities resume custody of it.

Clr Hannon added: “The artefact is unlikely to be repatriated until the autumn.

“So Warrington Borough Council intends to invite members of the New Zealand and Samoan national rugby league team to pay their respects to the Toi moko during their stay here as part of the World Cup.

“They’ll be among the last people to visit the Toi moko before it begins its second journey half-way around the world, this time on its way home.”