This is a piece I designed based on a pre European toki that was used for carving. I love the old shapes and simple elegance they have.
It is now with a good friend of mine in Germany. An important piece of New Zealand he can carry with him now.
There is a profound narrative captured within the contours of a Pounamu toki, one that speaks to the heart of Aotearoa’s cultural heritage and the land’s natural beauty. Today, we introduce ‘Waiora Whānau,’ a name that embodies the vitality and community represented by a specially crafted 6 cm toki made from kawa kawa pounamu. This…
Pounamu is often used as a way of connecting with Aotearoa and with home. That is what this set is about. This is a double koru that goes across all three pieces. It represents the different paths we take and how they all lead to or start from the same center, home. Pounamu from Aotearoa…
Basalt, a dense volcanic rock, has played a vital role in human history, its strength and durability shaping tools and structures across civilizations. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), basalt was a prized material for Māori artisans, particularly for crafting toki (adzes). Recently, I had the honor of carving a toki from a piece of basalt sourced…
This set of three taonga was carved as a special commission for a customer who had sourced his own jade from overseas and arranged for it to be sent directly to me. While this jade is not Pounamu, it was still treated with the same respect and intention I give to all taonga I create….
I recently completed this meaningful commission for a father whose whānau wanted to gift him a taonga that symbolises his role within their family. The piece is a 6cm Toki carved from rich green Kawakawa Pounamu, sourced from the South Island of New Zealand. Kawakawa Pounamu is prized for its deep, even green hues with…
This is what is sounds like, a toki with a pikorua carved into it. The pikorua is on the back. The 5 notches on the sides are to represent whanau members. It is interesting to see some of the process to carve the pikorua into this toki.
