Ngā Piringa Rua

This special set of taonga, named Ngā Piringa Rua (The Two Connections), was made for a couple living in the UK who, while making a happy life overseas, still hold a deep connection to Aotearoa. The name reflects both their connection to each other and their shared bond with their sons and the whenua of Aotearoa. The set includes a 65mm Toki and a 50mm Porohita pendant with a carved koru on its face. Both are made from beautiful Kawakawa Pounamu, a deep green stone often associated with strength, growth, and heart connection.

The Porohita, or circle, represents the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of people and place. The carved koru speaks directly to the recipient’s life as a mother and a gardener—symbols of nurturing, growth, and deep connection to the land. This pendant is a reflection of her role as both caregiver and cultivator, grounded in her English roots but woven together with the whenua of Aotearoa.

The Toki was created for her husband, a Kiwi by birth, who shares in the bond of whānau and the pull of home. The traditional meaning of the Toki—strength, determination, and leadership—is honoured in this taonga.

Each taonga features two notches carved into the form—a quiet and powerful way to honour their two sons, now young men. These small cuts symbolise the presence and significance of their tamariki, an acknowledgement of the family bond that connects them all, no matter the distance.

Both pieces are lashed in black, with the Porohita featuring a bar-style lashing across the top. Together, they form a matching pair grounded in the whenua of Aotearoa, symbolic of love, connection, and the shared journey of a couple and their whānau across countries and cultures.

Carving these taonga was a privilege. To be able to represent the strength of a family, their connections to land, to one another, and to their sons through the form and flow of Kawakawa Pounamu was deeply meaningful.