BONE CARVING - HEI TOKI

HEIGHT: 8cm

It has been said of Maori carving that it is “fashioned with aroha (love) and imbued with wairua (spirit)” (Davis, 1994, Treasured Taonga). In my view these qualities especially apply when a carved piece is gifted: it carries the aroha and wairua of the giver to the receiver.

When a carving is gifted by a member of an older generation to a young person the carving carries remembrance of the love of the giver for the receiver for the rest of that younger person’s life. A well-made bone carving is almost indestructible, barring accidents.

These bone carvings are not slavish copies of Maori designs, rather they adapt the themes expressed in Maori carving and further explore the tradition of highly stylising the shapes of common objects and tools (fish hooks, adzes, chisels etc) so that they can be worn as items of adornment. As such, many of them reflect the attributes ascribed to the original users of such objects. For instance, the humble fish hook, known by Maori as matau, symbolises the qualities of fishers who traditionally occupy positions of honour for their role in feeding the tribe. Other designs reflect elements in nature, particularly the koru – the unfolding fern frond.

Some of the meanings:

TOKI – modelled on the traditional adze, the toki represents strength, focus and determination, all necessary attributes for leadership.

HEI MATAU – represents all the things necessary to become a successful fisher and the benefits derived from that activity – sufficiency, strength, prosperity and determination – and brings good health and safe travel on a journey, particularly over water.

KORU – symbolises the new fern shoot and promotes growth, harmony and new beginnings. It often represents family or marks an event or achievement in an individual’s life.

Roger Smith
Bone carver
2021