$1.3 million dollars has been spent to acquire the last major art work of a Maori chief by celebrated artists Charles Goldie.

The auctioneer's hammer went down at $1.175 million in Auckland last night - the cost included a buyer's premium.

It's a record price for both a Goldie and for any New Zealand painting.

A Noble Relic of a Noble Race is an oil painting of Arawa chief Wharekauri Tahuna.

International Art Centre director Richard Thomson said it's likely to stay in the country.

If the buyer wants to take it out, special approval is needed, because the work is classified as one of national significance.