Hono – Connection
This commissioned set is named Hono — a word that speaks to the act of joining, connecting, and bringing together. It was created for a group of lifelong friends who recently turned 60. One of the women, now living in Aotearoa, wanted to honour her enduring connection with the other two, who remain in the United Kingdom. She commissioned a set of three matching taonga, each one a Hei Toki carved from the same slice of stunning Inanga Pipiwharauroa Pounamu. The stone features shimmering chatoyancy that shifts in the light and highlights of warm yellow from the outer skin of the stone, making each piece glow in its own way.
The shape is a classic Toki, symbolising strength, courage, and determination. At the top, each Toki is finished with a three-hole ringbolt lashing, chosen to reflect the trio of friends and their shared foundation. The design of the stone itself makes this set special—the three pieces were cut side-by-side from a single slice of Pounamu. Placed together, you can trace the movement of the natural patterning through all three, like a visual thread that connects them.
On the front, each taonga has a bold, deep curve, giving the face a grounded, flowing presence. On the back, the curve is more subtle. It is here that we chose to add a meaningful element: three hand-carved wavy lines that run across all three pieces when placed side by side. These lines symbolise the journey of their friendship—the highs and lows, the separate paths taken, and the shared strength that remains constant through it all. It’s a quiet detail, not visible when worn, but deeply significant: a reminder carried close to the skin of a lifelong bond that endures, grows, and adapts with time.
Hono is more than a set of matching taonga. It is a tribute to friendship, to shared history, and to the way connections can span distance and time, held together by aroha and intention.
