Showcase

Pounamu hei-tiki have been viewed over many years as items of mana and prestige, objects of commerce and trade, and symbols of cultural identity. They have been revered and respected as well as degraded and misunderstood.

Te Kaha, one of New Zealand’s best contemporary Pounamu carvers, recently created 17 Pounamu hei-tiki with the aim of increasing the understanding of this multi-faceted object.

In his 2011 exhibition at John Leech Gallery entitled Mauri he highlighted the beauty of the symbol, in all of its material and stylistic variations, and told a facet of New Zealand’s creation story.

For more information on the hei-tiki shown below please contact the gallery.
For more information on the exhibition in which these works featured please click here.