Te Pūtake o te Manawanui

Te Pūtake o te Manawanui means the source or foundation of inner strength. I chose this name because this taonga speaks directly to resilience that is grown, carried, and lived with over time, especially through challenge.

This set was commissioned as a gift for a woman who, along with her whānau, has moved through a period of sustained emotional strain and challenge. What this piece represents is not perfection, but endurance. The stone itself carries signs of stress, pressure, and internal irregularity from its long formation journey. Those marks are not flaws. They are evidence of strength earned over time. In this taonga, they reflect the emotional resilience this family has developed together, and the depth, toughness, and steadiness that now sit within them as part of who they are.

The lotus form reinforces this kaupapa. The lotus is often associated with rising through difficulty and growing strong despite the conditions around it. Here, that meaning is grounded in the stone itself. The Pounamu has endured, adapted, and emerged with depth and character. Just like the woman who will wear it, close to her heart.

This set consists of a lotus flower pendant and a matching pair of earrings, all carved from the same piece of vibrant forest-green Pounamu. The stone is highly translucent, and when held to the light you can see deep into its interior, revealing inclusions and patterning that were central to why this particular stone was chosen.

The pendant measures 75mm across and is carved as a lotus flower. Along the base sits a band of white rind, forming a natural foundation that grounds the entire piece. I chose to keep this rind visible rather than carving it away, as it strongly reinforces the idea of support and stability. The pendant is suspended from two points, allowing it to sit balanced and centred on the chest, held by a black four-braid cord.

The earrings are 50mm long and have a gentle knife-like form. They are smooth, rounded, and taper to a point, carrying the same rich green colour and translucency as the pendant. Being carved from the same stone, they hold the same internal story, expressed in a different form.

Carving this set was about listening to what the stone already held and allowing that to guide the outcome. I didn’t try to make it flawless. I let it be honest. This taonga honours a journey shaped by pressure, resilience, and love, and it now carries that story forward with the woman and whānau it was made for.