Kiripaka Niho Taonga

Description

This Niho taonga is carved from Kiripaka, also known as Silcrete, a material connected to the practical stone technologies used throughout pre-colonial Māori history in Aotearoa. Kiripaka was valued for its hardness and durability, making it useful for cutting edges, tools, and worked stone objects before European materials became available. It represents a different part of the Taonga Kōhatu story than Pounamu, grounded in practicality, accessibility, and the skilled use of local natural resources.

The stone in this piece carries a medium to light grey colouring with soft warm orange tinges appearing subtly through the surface. It has a quiet, earthy look that suits the strong shape of the Niho design. The Niho form symbolises strength, resilience, leadership, and determination, drawing inspiration from the teeth of creatures such as the shark and the significance they carried within Māori visual language and carving traditions.

Across the top is a five-hole ring bolt lashing in black cord. The lashing style references the importance of binding, fastening, and securing stone tools and taonga within traditional Māori society. It connects the piece back to the practical making traditions surrounding stone work and hand-crafted objects in pre-European Aotearoa.

This taonga carries both the symbolism of the Niho form and the deeper connection to the resourcefulness and craftsmanship of Māori stone working traditions.

Size: 70mm

Material: Silcrete/Kiripaka

Location: Canterbury

Carver: Campbell Potter