Traditional Crafts

Tools

Hand Hewn

In Pounamu

Nov.2010. Ajr

A Museum Display

Pounamu Tiki

(greenstone)

Behind Glass

Otago Museum, Dunedin

May 2010, Ajr

Pounamu - A Green Display

Pounamu Pendants

For Sale

At a Market Stall

Ajr 2009

Hooks and Chisels

" Rei matua, hei taonga e mau noa ana ki te tane/wahine ranei.

Purehurehu, Wahapu o Otago
Fish-hook breast pendants (hei matau) are stylised fish hooks meant only for ornamental use.

Pahia and Haywards Point, Otago Peninsula

Pleasant River Mouth, North Otago.

I mahia nga whao, ahakoa te rahi, kia whaowhao i nga whakairo tino uaua

Chisels (flat blades) and gouges (curved blades) of all sizes and profiles were specially developed for the production of intricate woodcarving.

Whareakeake, Otago Heads."
Notes from Otago Museum exhibition display.

www.otagomuseum.govt.nz

Market Pounamu

A Trio of Pendants

Pounamu on a String

Catching the Sun

Christchurch Arts Centre Market

May 2010. Ajr

Pounamu - A Neck Piece

Pounamu

A Personal Taonga

Treasured

Pounamu - An Endless Choice

Wherever you travel within New Zealand, you're seldom short of an opportunity to buy a pounamu (greenstone) souvenir. The choice is endless. It does pay to be aware though, that not all pounamu souvenirs are handcrafted in New Zealand by Maori craftsmen; a good number of the cheaper works are mass produced in places like China and Taiwan. So if you're after an authentic Maori carving, make sure you check its source - and be prepared to pay a decent sum of money for a collectors piece and a potential family heirloom.

More From the Pounamu Files

Traditional Designs

In Pounamu

A Market Sale

Pounamu in a Bowl

Pounamu Chips

In a Wooden Bowl

Hui-a-Tau, Colac Bay

Southland. November 2009.

Pounamu on a String

Pounamu

Pendants at the Arts Centre Market

Christchurch.

November 2009 Ajr

Pounamu: An Enduring Legacy

I wrote about the terrific new exhibition, Kura Pounamu: Treasured Stone of New Zealand at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa here last week (click on link below), but I thought I’d just add a word or three and bring you two more beautiful pieces from the display. At the risk of repeating myself – because I have written about pounamu several times before – I just wanted to add a note about the stone itself – rather than the 200-plus pounamu taonga (greenstone treasures) that make up Kura Pounamu. Greenstone occurs naturally only in the South Island of New Zealand, where it is found in seven main areas: Nelson, Westland, South Westland, Makarora (Wanaka district), Wakatipu, Milford Sound and the Livingstone Mountains. The two main types of pounamu are nephrite and bowenite – bowenite being the softer of the two and with a different mineral formation. It is also rarer than nephrite. The image above is a ‘Tuhiwai’ mere pounamu (nephrite weapon), Ngati Toa and Ngai Tahu iwi (tribes), Otago. Kahurangi variety,Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Maori classify pounamu according to its colours, markings and translucency and there are many local names for different pounamu. The four main varieties recognised by most iwi (tribes) are inanga, kahurangi, kawakawa and tangiwai. The range of appearance within each of these varieties is enormous and more than one variety can exist within one stone. Inanga – especially prized by Southern Maori - is a pearly-white or grey-green colour and varies from translucent to opaque. Kahurangi is the rarest variety of pounamu, is highly translucent and often comes in vivid shades of green. In the old days it was the preferred stone for the blades of toki poutangata (ceremonial adzes) owned by rangitira (chiefs). Kawakawa is the most common variety and it comes in many shades, often with small dark flecks. Tangiwai is clear, like glass, and ranges from olive green to bluish-green in colour. It is a bowenite rock and the most ancient form of pounamu found chiefly in two isolated areas at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound). (This, it should be noted is a brief summary of pounamu varieties only - just to give you an insight into the basics). The image above: Kaka poria (bird leg-ring) pounamu (bowenite), Tangiwai variety, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound). Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Kura Pounamu is showing at Te Papa until February 2011. www.tepapa.govt.nz

A Treasured Stone

A stunning new exhibition has opened at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. Entitled “Kura Pounamu: Treasured Stone of New Zealand”, the exhibition features over 200 pounamu taonga (greenstone treasures) from across New Zealand. In addition to works from Te Papa’s own collection, visitors will have a rare opportunity to see luminous pounamu treasures from special private collections including the New Zealand Olympic Team’s mauri stone that travels with them to competitions; and touchstones from the South Island iwi (tribe), Ngai Tahu.

Valued for its beauty, strength and durability, pounamu is found only in the South Island and it has traditionally been used for centuries as a peace-maker, weapon, adornment, tool and treasure. Kura Pounamu showcases traditional and contemporary pieces, including a breathtaking mass display of hei tiki (pendants in human form, as shown above), ear pendants, necklaces, tools for carving (adzes and chisels) and a wall dedicated to a display of mere pounamu (nephrite weapons). Many of these objects have a whakapapa (geneology) and fascinating histories, many of them linked to famous New Zealand historical events and people.
Visitors will also be able to enter an immersion room, where they can touch pounamu boulders on loan to Te Papa by the kaitiaki (guardians) of pounamu, the South Island’s Ngai Tahu iwi. Acclaimed musician Richard Nunns and Dteve Garden has also composed pieces especially for the show, which will be played on pounamu taonga puoro (traditional Maori musical instruments made of pounamu). It’s an interactive area where visitors can hear the stories associated with pounamu; and where they can also record and share their own stories.
Pounamu has always played a powerful role in affirming and building a variety of relationships for Maori. In the past, families exchanged pounamu treasures when people married to symbolise their new connection; and former enemies presented each other with gifts (pounamu mere perhaps) to establish links and lasting peace. In some districts, this peace-making tradition was called te tatau pounamu – a ‘greenstone door.’ This extensive exhibition, which occupies Te Papa’s Level 4, also tells the stories of important events – the story of the ceremonial pounamu used at the signing of the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu) Vesting Act 1997, when the new Labour Government formally handed ownership of pounamu to Ngai Tahu. If you’d like to know more about this exciting exhibition, Te Papa have developed a mini-site – www.tepapa.govt.nz/pounamu, which provides further information about the exhibition and the taonga in it. All images shown here are the property of and are used courtesy of The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa; and should not be downloaded. They are as follows: Top: Hei tiki (pendant in human form), 2008, by Lewis Tamihana Gardiner (b.1972), Te Arawa, Ngati Awa, Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngai Tahu iwi (tribes), pounamu (nephrite), synthetic fibre. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Second from Top: Hei tiki, pounamu, inanga variety, Arahura River, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Centre: Hei Tiki, pounamu, inanga variety, Arahura River, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Bottom pair – top image: ‘Tuhiwai’ mere pounamu (nephrite weapon), Ngati Toa and Ngai Tahu (tribes), Otago, pounamu (nephrite) kahurangi variety, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Bottom image of pair: Hei matau (hook-shaped pendant) pounamu kawakawa variety, Westland. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. The exhibition runs untils February 2011.

Coming Soon ........

The posters are up around town - I photographed these in Christchurch this morning - and I'll be bringing more news about this terrific new exhibition at Wellington's Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in the coming days. www.tepapa.govt.nz

Pounamu Treasures

Greenstone - Pounamu

Carved to Wear
May 2009 Ajr

Pounamu Taonga

Queenstown. May 2009. Ajr

Last Tuesday I wrote a Meet the People piece about Invercargill-based carver, Nathan Jerry (scroll down to read that). His favourite carving medium is pounamu (greenstone or jade) and his works are usually based on traditional designs - as are his bindings, which are shown in good detail here. Nathan sells his work every weekend at the Queenstown Market and I must say it is a pleasure to come across such beautifully crafted pieces.

Meet the People - 17

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Nathan Jerry (Tainui) is a long way from his Kawhia (Waikato) roots – he’s lived in Invercargill all his life and it’s there that he’s made a career for himself as a carver. Nathan, 38, was bundled up against the cold the day I found him at the Queenstown Saturday Market selling his wares. I had to talk him into a photograph but he talked freely about his passion for carving and especially for pounamu (jade). “I did my training in traditional wood carving in Invercargill and while I’ve carved in wood, bone, stone, shell, I prefer pounamu above anything else. It’s as if all my years of carving have led me to pounamu. I have a huge respect for it. It’s such a beautiful stone with incredible colour variation. Some pieces just carve themselves. It’s an awesome medium,” he says.

Nathan, who has been carving commercially for eight years, carved the Potuku Manawa (centre post) at Invercargill’s Murihiku Marae. He took those traditional skills with wood and applied them to pounamu. “I’m self taught when it comes to stone but after three and a half years of working with jade, I’ve found my niche.”

All images. Queenstown. May 2009 Ajr.

Nathan also works as a commercial paua diver in the cold southern oceans from Oamaru south, around Stewart Island and into Milford Sound. “I love pounamu and I love the ocean so it’s a happy marriage for me. Most of my designs are quite traditional and I work around several ocean themes – wave forms, whales, hei matau (fish hook).” He was also the lucky recipient of a gift of the sought-after pounamu called Tangiwai (actually Bowenite) – the rarest form of all from Milford Sound. It’s much lighter in colour and is now fully protected. “I was very lucky to know a man who collected it over 60 years ago and he gave me some to work with. It’s a privilege to be able to work with it.”

A`Swing of Souvenirs

Queenstown. May 2009. Ajr

Souvenir Bone and Pounamu

Dangling in a Queenstown Shop Window

Catching Shadows

Pounamu Souvenirs

Pounamu. Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr

Pounamu Necklaces

For Sale

Moments in History

Kaiapoi Pa Memorial. March 2009. Ajr

When you stand in the grassy field that was once home to the old Kaiapoi Pa – in front of this immense and haunting memorial – it’s interesting to reflect upon the fact that it was once a bustling, ancient ‘industrial site,’ where Ngai Tahu ancestors imported and worked the prized pounamu for their own use and trade. The pa site was established by Turakautahi around the year 1700, after Ngai Tahu crossed over from the North Island. Originally called The Nest of Kaikai-a-Waro, Turakautahi’s descendants later changed the name to Kaiapohia, which became commonly known as Kaiapoi. It was regarded as the chief Ngai Tahu stronghold and, surrounded by waterways and wetlands on three sides, it provided a bountiful food supply of fish and birds. The pa was eventually destroyed by Te Rauparaha’s raids in 1832 and many lives were lost.

March 2009. Ajr
Today when you stand there, you’re likely to hear ‘industrial activities’ of a different kind – the massive nearby development of Pegasus Town, which has in fact, unearthed an archaeological site thought to pre-date Ngai Tahu. The ancient pa site was discovered on the site of planned golf course for the new town; but thanks to co-operation between developers and cultural advisors for Ngai Tahu and Te Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga, that’s now been moved saving the important cultural relics from destruction. The first major discovery – a burnt pou (post) is now at Auckland University, where it is being conserved and protected; and it is hoped that all archaeological finds will eventually be housed in a purpose-built whare taonga (cultural house) near the unearthed pa. www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz

Market Pounamu

Pounamu

For Sale

@

Riccarton Rotary Market

Christchurch