Te Toi Uku - Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum

Te Toi Uku - Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum is a small museum located in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.

The museum is dedicated to the history of the West Auckland clay industry, from the early clay pipe-making days to the Crown Lynn era. The museum is sited next to the Parker & Gardner Bros downdraught kiln built in 1926, which is the last remaining structure relating to the West Auckland brick industry.

The museum is run by the Portage Ceramics Trust, which was formed in 2005 to purchase a large private collection of ceramics and pottery-making equipment relating to Crown Lynn. The Crown Lynn collection at Te Toi Uku includes examples of most types of ceramics produced by Crown Lynn over its 40 year history, as well as tools and machinery involved in its manufacture, and an archive of documents, photographs and designs relating to the company. Te Toi Uku actively collects Auckland and New Zealand based commercial ceramics that complement the broader collection; and has recently acquired a large collection of ceramics from the 1960s and 1970s produced by Luke Adams Pottery, which was based in the South Island and manufactured the souvenir ware Ngakura for Crown Lynn.

Te Toi Uku is also a tribute to Manos Nathan, a New Zealand ceramicist who was a foundation member of Te Atinga, the Visual Arts committee of Toi Maori Aotearoa. Work by Manos Nathan is held in New Zealand and international collections, including the British Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Dowse Art Museum. The museum is a fascinating place for casual visitors and enthusiastic collectors alike, providing the opportunity to inspect, compare, admire and learn about the history of ceramics in New Zealand. The museum tells the stories of the West Auckland clay industry, and visitors can learn about the production process of ceramics, as well as the history of Crown Lynn and its impact on New Zealand's culture and economy.

In conclusion, Te Toi Uku - Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history of ceramics in New Zealand. The museum provides a unique insight into the West Auckland clay industry, and the history of Crown Lynn and its impact on New Zealand's culture and economy. Visitors can learn about the production process of ceramics, as well as the history of Crown Lynn and its impact on New Zealand's culture and economy.