Stone Carving: Q&A + Gallery... - Tiki Carving

T Tamapoutini Member Aotearoa (New Zealand) Joined: Aug 30, 2006 Posts: 1530	T Tamapoutini Posted posted on Sat, Mar 10, 2007 2:32 PM On 2007-03-09 14:48, flynny wrote: Tama/Obi 1 I know your an extremely busy chap but is there any chance of a brief explanation as to the various forms of Pounamu, I get confused Inanga Marsden Whitebait etc etc It can be a bit confusing when you first start to hear these terms. These are purly local terms for NZ jade & come from a variety of sources. Some are old Maori terms, others named after the area from which they come, others again by particular colourations or markings. A few are known by different names to different people. I have heard that the early Maori had distinct names for over a hundred different types, but the majority of pounamu falls under about a dozen different names: Inanga: is the pale blue/grey/green, named after the tiny translucent fish (smelt/baby trout) of the same name, commonly referred to as 'whitebait'; a seasonal delicacy!yum Kokopu: is the name of the adult Inanga which grows into a plump little Alpine/Mountain trout. This stone comes in a range of colours but is distinctive for its speckled markings which look remarkably like a trouts' belly markings. Kahurangi: probably the most well known/recognised variety of pounamu; bright grass-green & fully trans. Kawakawa: would be the next most well known variety; again very bright green, but with an even speckling of darker inclusions which are most prominantly seen when held to light. The name Kawakawa is due to the similarity in appearance to the leaves of the Kawakawa (Lofty Pepper tree; piper excelsum) Totoweka: 'blood of the weka'. The weka is a very cheeky/bold native woodhen that was a large part of Maori diet, still very prolific around bushland areas. This stone has definate patches or flecks of red; the blood... Parauri: Very dark green, appearing virtually black until held to light. Pipiwharauroa: The 'shining cuckoo'; a beautiful feathered patterning likened to the feathers of the bird. Sometimes a natural feature but also occured through a heat-treatment process performed by Maori. Marsden/Flower: are terms for jade found in the Marsden district, Westland. I believe 'flower' can be found elsewhere but the stone from this area is of uncommonly good quality & some of NZs finest have been found here. This stone was a glacially-dropped deposit as opposed to a 'reef' being cut by a river. Often VERY bright gem/apple green & often with a 'useable' orange/gold/brown rind or crust. Flower: By this I mean TRUE flower (these days anything with a hint of orange is termed Flower) is most often a bright-to-dark green colour with definate 'blooms' of yellow or white. Quite surreal and very beautiful. Nowdays some of the rarest/dearest to get your hands on. South Westland: (district) A large source of stone still exists in this area & will probably be the first/last resourse to be properly managed. Until the last 20-odd years this area was virtually untouched by the modern lapidarist (pre-contact Maori did use it fairly extensively) due to the regions inhospitable nature; sandflies the size of seagulls & rain by the truckload. There is quite a variety of stonetypes found in this area; many dull or unusable but many of very fine quality also. Snowflake: is one that seems to be a speciality of Sth Westland, above. Bright green with 'splats' of pure white (some of you have seen this before :wink: :lol: ) Tangiwai: (or Bowenite) was a stone used extensively by the Maori, mostly for their long ear-drops. Actually a very good quality Serpentine, not jade. Tangiwai means tear-water & this stone is far more translucent than jade, almost transparent. In legend any striations/patterns within Tangiwai are the tears of Tama-ahua who found his wife turned to (the) stone. So there you go; I hope that will serve as a basic rundown. There are many others as stated earlier, but it is quite rare to come across anything other than those mentioned here. Tama/T3-PO :)

On 2007-03-09 14:48, flynny wrote:
Tama/Obi 1
I know your an extremely busy chap but is there any chance of a brief explanation as to the various forms of Pounamu, I get confused
Inanga
Marsden
Whitebait
etc etc

It can be a bit confusing when you first start to hear these terms. These are purly local terms for NZ jade & come from a variety of sources. Some are old Maori terms, others named after the area from which they come, others again by particular colourations or markings. A few are known by different names to different people. I have heard that the early Maori had distinct names for over a hundred different types, but the majority of pounamu falls under about a dozen different names:

Inanga: is the pale blue/grey/green, named after the tiny translucent fish (smelt/baby trout) of the same name, commonly referred to as 'whitebait'; a seasonal delicacy!yum

Kokopu: is the name of the adult Inanga which grows into a plump little Alpine/Mountain trout. This stone comes in a range of colours but is distinctive for its speckled markings which look remarkably like a trouts' belly markings.

Kahurangi: probably the most well known/recognised variety of pounamu; bright grass-green & fully trans.

Kawakawa: would be the next most well known variety; again very bright green, but with an even speckling of darker inclusions which are most prominantly seen when held to light. The name Kawakawa is due to the similarity in appearance to the leaves of the Kawakawa (Lofty Pepper tree; piper excelsum)

Totoweka: 'blood of the weka'. The weka is a very cheeky/bold native woodhen that was a large part of Maori diet, still very prolific around bushland areas. This stone has definate patches or flecks of red; the blood...

Parauri: Very dark green, appearing virtually black until held to light.

Pipiwharauroa: The 'shining cuckoo'; a beautiful feathered patterning likened to the feathers of the bird. Sometimes a natural feature but also occured through a heat-treatment process performed by Maori.

Marsden/Flower: are terms for jade found in the Marsden district, Westland. I believe 'flower' can be found elsewhere but the stone from this area is of uncommonly good quality & some of NZs finest have been found here. This stone was a glacially-dropped deposit as opposed to a 'reef' being cut by a river. Often VERY bright gem/apple green & often with a 'useable' orange/gold/brown rind or crust.

Flower: By this I mean TRUE flower (these days anything with a hint of orange is termed Flower) is most often a bright-to-dark green colour with definate 'blooms' of yellow or white. Quite surreal and very beautiful. Nowdays some of the rarest/dearest to get your hands on.

South Westland: (district) A large source of stone still exists in this area & will probably be the first/last resourse to be properly managed. Until the last 20-odd years this area was virtually untouched by the modern lapidarist (pre-contact Maori did use it fairly extensively) due to the regions inhospitable nature; sandflies the size of seagulls & rain by the truckload. There is quite a variety of stonetypes found in this area; many dull or unusable but many of very fine quality also.

Snowflake: is one that seems to be a speciality of Sth Westland, above. Bright green with 'splats' of pure white (some of you have seen this before :wink: :lol: )

Tangiwai: (or Bowenite) was a stone used extensively by the Maori, mostly for their long ear-drops. Actually a very good quality Serpentine, not jade. Tangiwai means tear-water & this stone is far more translucent than jade, almost transparent. In legend any striations/patterns within Tangiwai are the tears of Tama-ahua who found his wife turned to (the) stone.

So there you go; I hope that will serve as a basic rundown. There are many others as stated earlier, but it is quite rare to come across anything other than those mentioned here.

Tama/T3-PO :)

Post #290927 by Tamapoutini on Sat, Mar 10, 2007 2:32 PM