Pākau o te Kererū

Pākau o te Kererū – the wing of the Kereru.   Have you had the pleasure of spending time watching the plump and personable Kereū? Their stunning blu-green plumage  flashing as they bounce at the very tip of the thinnest branch feasting on fresh shoots.  And that distinctive sound of their wing stroke in flight, you often hear them coming before you see them.  This iridescent tangiwai taonga jumped out to Tim as the Kererū wing solidified in pounamu.

If you flick through the photos you’ll see what kind of magic happens when you get some light behind this taonga. Strong sun light or anyway old phone torch will do.  It’s really quite incredible.

Kererū were a major food source for Māori.  Their beautiful feathers were used in the making of kahu huruhuru(feather cloaks) and their tail feathers adorned tahā huahua and pātua(containers for holding preserved birds).  Kererū are also included in many whakatauki, waiata and pūrakau so we know they were an important bird for Māori and are still treasured today.

Tim created this pākau(wing) from the rare and magical tangiwai pounamu.  Tim has not altered the natural shape of this tangiwai pebble, the pākau was always in the stone. He polished one face to allow its iridescent Kererū colours to come through.  When you move this piece in your hands it flickers and shifts in the light, just like  the wing of the Kererū.

• Kōkōtangiwai pounamu from Piopiotahi.
• Length 100mm x 40mm widest point.
• A one-of-a-kind taonga by Timoti.

💚Now every taonga you purchase helps us to carve a taonga for EVERY tamariki in care in Aotearoa. You can read more about our Tū Māia project here. Ngā mihi mahana for your support of this kaupapa!💚