Tiki o te Ngahere
$3,300.00
This 95mm Hei Tiki is carved from beach serpentine Pounamu I sourced near Hokitika. It features a side-hanging design with paua inlaid eyes and a harakeke-coloured 4-braid cord through the arm. The deep moss green stone has tan highlights from the original skin of the stone on the face, belly, and hand. Hei Tiki are rich in tradition, symbolising whakapapa, fertility, and ancestral strength.
Description
Iâve named this taonga Tiki o te Ngahere, meaning “Tiki of the Forest.” The name speaks to the deep moss green of the stone, its grounding feel, and the way it reminds me of forest shade and earthâa taonga rooted in the whenua of Aotearoa.
It measures 95mm from head to toes and is 19mm thick at its deepest point, giving it a solid, sculptural feel in the hand. The side-hanging design allows the head to tilt naturally, as is traditional, and the cord is looped through the arm, with a harakeke-coloured 4-braid and sliding knots.
The Pounamu is beach serpentine I fossicked for myself near Hokitika. Itâs a rich, mossy forest green in matte finish, with a grounding feel that suits the form well. The stone holds onto its pastâtraces of tan from the original skin remain visible on the brow, belly, and one hand. Paua shell inlays add life to the eyes, which are central to the mana and wairua of a tiki.
One hand rests on the puku (belly), the other on the legs, a classic pose seen in many traditional Hei Tiki. Hei Tiki are taonga that honour our tÄ«puna and whakapapa, often worn as symbols of fertility, protection, and ancestral connection. They are deeply personal piecesâcarvings that hold meaning, memory, and strength.
This is a one-of-a-kind taonga made from a rare stone in a traditional form, and itâs a pleasure to be able to share it.
Size: 95mm
Material: Pounamu/Serpentine
Location: Hokitika
Carver: Campbell Potter
