A fantastic Taiaha Arero and Upoko handcrafted from an incredible piece of Totoweka Pounamu, It forms the part of the Taiaha used for stabbing an opponent or parrying. Set into a fabulous water worn Kawakawa Pounamu pebble, with rich greens and reds this will be a treasured taonga.
Taiaha
is a traditional weapon of the Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wielder. are usually between 5 and 6 feet (1.5 and 1.8 m) in length and often have a pounamu greenstone-tipped blade at one end. It has three main parts; the arero (tongue), used for stabbing the opponent and parrying; the upoko (head), the base from which the tongue protrudes; and the ate (liver) or tinana (body), the long flat blade which is also used for striking and parrying. The Taiaha is a symbol of valour and strength
Sculpture - Totoweka- This stone is usually like the mid green Kawakawa variety but differs in that the spotting or streaks are red like blood. It is rare to find Totoweka in the Westland jade fields, but when a piece is discovered, it is highly cherished and sometimes becomes the show piece of the fossicker’s collection. Large deposits of Totoweka occur in the South Westland area. The name comes from toto (blood), weka (Native bush hen) or weka blood. The red iron oxide inclusions were likened to the colour of blood of the Weka. Authentically sourced from Hokiauau/Big Bay South Westland
Base - Kawakawa- is the most common variety of Pounamu. it comes in many shades - from strong, rich green to dark green - and often has small dark flecks, which add to its character. Named after the leaf of the Kawakawa. It is the main type used in gem purposes.
Hand Carved by Kaleb Schad
Sculpture size 215mm high x 73mm wide x 15mm thick
Base 200mm long x 100mm wide x 23mm thick
This will be the exact piece you will receive in the photos, there may be a slight degree of colour variation based on different computer or device screen resolutions that you are viewing from.
