Kokopu Suspension Toki te Tahi

Suspension toki. Tim was born and raised way up Tauwhareparae rd, in Uawa (Tolaga Bay).  Every day, travelling in and out of the valley to school, he had to cross 4 wire suspension bridges.  They were an integral part of his home and his childhood. 

As tamariki, they would climb the wire cables. Crawling out on the concrete towers, they would  scratch their names into the concrete using rocks. To this day, 50 years later, the names of Tim’s whanau are still visible on these bridge towers. 

Tim recently carved a commission taonga for an engineering company that has designed and built many suspension bridges around Aotearoa. Check them out here, so many incredible designs.  

This mahi reminded Tim of all the joys of the suspension bridge.  And the Suspension Toki was born.  Created to pay homage to the simple and enduring design of the suspension bridge, a beloved feature throughout Aotearoa. 

Suspension Bridges are beautiful man-made structures. So much more character and style than a flat concrete bridge! An incredible feat of engineering.  

And so we bring you the Suspension Toki.  A nod to humanities engineering prowess, from the ancient and enduring stone arts of toki making to the modern engineering constructions.

This toki will let you into a whole other world of its hidden secrets when you hold it up to the light.  Pounamu is endlessly fascinating.

Tim carves these by sight and feel, no rule lines here! He says it’s the only to carve the wairua into the taonga.

Tim left the back raw so you can see and feel how this kohatu looked in its natural environment.  Be grounded in the raw.

• One of a kind taonga by Timoti
• Kahurangi pounamu from Te Tai Poutini
• 80mm length x 30mm maxwidth