Post #315572 by Tamapoutini on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 7:27 PM

REPLICA MAORI ARTIFACT: Pounamu Hei-tiki!! :o :o :o

SORRY SOLD! Big thanks again gMoney!!

Genuinely handmade in New Zealand from New Zealand pounamu (nephrite jade), but NOT a genuine artifact!! This amazing one-off piece was created to APPEAR like the genuine article but was actually made in recent times and with modern tools.

Still very traditional, this old girl was fashioned from a palm-sized water-worn river stone and carved in a free-form fashion, all the while thinking/mimicking the cuts/techniques/processes employed by my neolithic ancestors and also trying to reproduce the weathering of the years... She is a little crude in her execution when compared to my other work, but please believe this was deliberate. Her pose & expression are unique; ie, not copied from any particular old piece and this 'personalising' is also a traditional approach. Most peculiar about this piece is the double face; in profile & front view - spooky... ancient... ugly. :wink:

(photos taken in natural light - dreary day)

and under artificial light..

Some of the natural surface pitting remains & there are a few aesthetic flaws in the stone. These do not compromise the physical strength of the piece & were carefully/deliberately retained for the sake of 'realism'. Intended as a display piece but could certainly be worn.
The stone is a medium-dark green Westland 'Kawakawa', a little milker-green on the back.
Some translucency at thinner edges which can be exploited by hanging in a window although displays best as an 'alterpiece' or hung in a prominant position.

SORRY SOLD! Big thanks gMoney!!

TamaTT :)

[ Edited by: tamapoutini 2007-06-30 03:07 ]