Pakohe pebble

Here is a little piece of Pakohe for you.  Using fire and water to drastically change temperature, this piece would have been shattered off a larger rock and then left at the riverside.  Over time the awa has worn it smooth and carried it down to us.

Pakohe was used throughout Aotearoa by Māori due to its superior qualities of hardness, strength, and ability to hold a sharpened edge. It was ideal for making tools.

Using fire and water, Maori could break the larger boulders into smaller workable pieces which never lost their strength.

Even though the rock was hard it was still able to be worked, re-shaped, sharpened and smoothed which made it an ideal tool for Maori with limited resources.

Ngati Kuia are Iwi Pakohe and pakohe was one of their main exports for trade with other Iwi and Pakeha. Ngati Kuia shipped Pakohe throughout all of Aotearoa. Because of this Pakohe was more popular and practical than Pounamu.

Pakohe is smooth to the touch.  Wear it around your neck or just carry it in your pocket. This piece would be wonderful when you need something to hold on to, something to help you feel safe and grounded.

• One of a kind taonga by Timoti
• Pakohe gathered by us from the awa of Te Tau Ihu
• 60mm length x 32mm max width x 17mm