Totoweka Wide Toki 5cm
The colours in this toki really stand out as a vivid example of the totoweka colouring. Totoweka is named after the blood of the weka, as the colours resemble it in the pounamu. It is pretty hard to find. The contrast well with the deep green of the kawakawa pounamu they are found in.
The modern Hei Toki, worn around the neck as a pendant, represents foremost strength, authority, and leadership. It is can also a symbol of power, courage, wisdom, determination, self-control, and focus.
The Toki was a originally a tool used by Maori. The pounamu was painstakingly shaped into heavy and robust forms and could be either lashed to a handle or held in the hand. They were used for cutting down trees, carving out canoes/waka, or carving designs into meeting houses/marae.
A finer version with a more delicate Toki lashed to an elaborately carved handle were reserved for powerful cheifs/rangatira. These were used for ceremonial purposes, they are called ‘Toki Poutangata’.
