The name Te Here Whakapapa speaks to the binding threads of lineage and connection. “Here” means to tie or bind, and “whakapapa” refers to genealogy, the layers of connection that link people across generations. This set was created to honour a single piece of Pounamu that had been held by this whānau for decades, now…
This taonga is named Te Ngaru Māhaki, meaning “the gentle wave.” The name speaks to the balance of movement and calm, power and control. A wave carries strength, but it is not always forceful — it can be steady, quiet, and purposeful. This reflects the journey of a young man growing into himself, shaped by…
Te Here Pikorua translates roughly to “the binding double twist.” The name refers to the way relationships, cultures, and whakapapa are bound together through the lives of a whānau. The pikorua form symbolises two pathways that remain connected, even as they move and grow over time. This taonga is a double twisted pikorua form carved…
Some stones carry the presence of deep time within them. I named this taonga Te Mauri Onamata, meaning the life force of ancient times. The fossil shells preserved in the stone are the remains of living creatures from long before people walked this land. Because of that, the piece speaks about continuity, endurance, and our…
The name of this taonga is Te Puna Rangimārie, which can be translated as “the source of peace.” The name reflects the idea that calm and wellbeing come from reconnecting with the centre of who we are. Like the koru that sits at the heart of the design, that centre becomes the starting point for…
This fossil stone Toki carries deep time within it. Carved from a hard, fine-grained mudstone filled with ancient shell fossils, it holds the quiet story of the ocean pressed into stone. The slice was gifted to me by someone from the North Island, gathered from the Mohaka area in Tairāwhiti. From the moment I saw…
I have named this taonga Te Marama Mana — the moon of strength and authority. This piece is about presence. It is about mana wahine. It represents a woman who stands fully in who she is, steady and assured, carrying her influence with calm confidence. Carved as a marama, the circular form speaks to completeness…
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…
The name Te Manawa o te Wā means The Heart of Time. It speaks to the quiet truth at the centre of this taonga — that time is the most precious gift we are given. This toki was commissioned by a son whose mother, at 86, is nearing the end of her life. When she…
Te Whai Kaitiaki means The Guardian Ray. I chose this name because the whai carries a quiet but powerful presence. In te ao Māori, the stingray is often seen as a kaitiaki — a guardian and protector who moves calmly beneath the surface, aware of its surroundings and ready to defend when needed. It does…
