Te Toka Pūmau means “the enduring stone” or “the grounding stone,” reflecting the role of the central display piece within this set of taonga. All three pieces were carved from a single cobble of Inanga Pounamu, keeping them permanently connected through the same source stone and the same natural history formed within Te Wai Pounamu….
I have named this taonga Te Rongo o te Wai, meaning the peace of the water. This name speaks to the calm and stillness that water can bring, and the role this piece is intended to play for its wearer. It was created as something to be held, turned over in the hands, and returned…
Te Haepapa Tūturu translates to “the enduring responsibility.” This name reflects a life shaped by service, where responsibility is not something carried lightly or temporarily, but something lived every day. This taonga was created to represent that steady commitment to others — to guiding, supporting, and helping people grow in challenging environments. It also acknowledges…
This 50mm Manawa was carved as a companion piece, created from the very same stone as a recent whānau commission — the Te Whatu Whānau set (https://campbellcarving.co.nz/te-whatu-whanau-whanau-pounamu-set/). After the original taonga went home, the sister of the mum reached out. She had seen the heart carved for her sister and felt the pull to carry…
Te Taura Whakapapa means the binding line of genealogy. I chose this name because this set was carved from a single family-held piece of Kawakawa Pounamu that had already travelled through generations. The stone itself carried whakapapa before I ever touched it. By shaping it into taonga for different members of the whānau, the line…
Te Whatu Whānau translates as “the family weave.” This name was chosen because this set is about many lives woven together from a single source. Every taonga in this set comes from the same gifted cobble of Pounamu, carrying the same whakapapa, yet each piece holds its own form, role, and meaning within the whānau….
Tātau Whānau means “our family” or “all of us as a family.” I chose this name because these taonga come from a single slice of Pounamu that has travelled through generations of their Ngāi Tahu whānau. The name makes the meaning explicit: this stone has always belonged to the collective. By becoming a roimata and…
This Roimata was carved to complete a set. The owner already had a pair of earrings carved in the same design, each with a koru cut from the sides and three notches at the base. Those notches represent the past, present, and future — the journey of life and the growth that continues through it….
This taonga is a 5cm pendant carved with soft flowing curves, rounded at the base and finished with a strong black lashing at the top. Its main feature is a small flower motif, inspired by Tongan design. The flower sits proudly on the stone, a reminder of the beauty and strength found in both nature…
This beautiful set of five taonga, named Ngā Manawa Kotahi (The United Hearts), was carved from a single piece of beach serpentine Pounamu that the whānau found themselves while travelling Te Waipounamu. It was important to them that the stone come from this whenua—a place they feel rooted in, even while living far across the…
