Museums told to dust off taonga Maori

A Whanganui artist wants museums around the country to dust off taonga Maori in storage and put them on display.

Marilyn Vreede said almost every museum has Maori artefacts in storage that should be out in the open.

The Whanganui Regional Museum recently pulled out of storage its historical collection of hue or gourds for a new exhibition on the taonga.

Mrs Vreede - of the local Maori Artists' Collective, Manawa Ora Whanganui - said it was a beautiful feeling to see them out and being appreciated and loved, saying that's all the taonga ask for.