Tama - NZ Pounamu/greenstone - Last post for '08! - pg99

Thanks for playing everyone - certainly made my day more enjoyable keeping you guessing :lol:

Nothing like a competition to bring out the swot in the crowd eh? Ill make it more difficult next time Paip'.. :wink:

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Too excited to wait until morning.. Drive-by roughout of 'Lei Niho Palaoa':

(a bit more 'waste' than Im used to, but theres the toggle at least..)

Figured Id crack open a fresh burr for this heavy internal work:

Getting there but still a lot of refining to do. This form is far trickier than it looks (but I was expecting that), with many subtle angles and proportions.
Ive been wanting to make one of these for the longest time but just happened to pick up a piece of stone with the right thickness/proportions this morning after flicking through a book and spying one.

Ive got a few other things to attend to tommorrow but will hopefully get another hour or two on this. :)

(didnt get the Toki/teko sanded last night after all..)

Happy carving All!

*Pop! And so instead of letting me eat my dinner, the Ancients whisk me away once more.. When I came to, there was a bit more progress:

On 2008-05-26 19:17, tikifreak1 wrote:
I don't know how it would fit in, but.....................*

*You were on the right track TFreak - and if these aint related Ill eat my mahiole with fried mushrooms..!

See ya tommorra! :)

Pictured that way, it looks just like a Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Saw some in the backyard yesterday.

Very nice! It looks just like it, now you just need some human hair as your cord. I have some leftover from my last carving if you want it? Just kidding, but you can if you do.

On 2008-05-27 04:41, tikifreak1 wrote:
Very nice! It looks just like it, now you just need some human hair as your cord. I have some leftover from my last carving if you want it? Just kidding, but you can if you do.

Good point! I should've posted this one too (though I'm sure Tama's got plenty of reference pics):

Start plucking! (no short n curlies please.... :lol: )

I've always wanted to do one of these myself - my thought was to use a pebble of appropriate form and save half the work, but the right stone has never presented itself. It looks like it will be much nicer in jade anyway....

Thanks for the nocturnal Shouting:

teaKey: do you know if that plant grew on Hawaii 'back in the day'? I could quite believe that inspiration was drawn from that..

Tfreak: thanks for the offer but I think Ill tutu around with my polyester braid before taking you up on that offer - gets me thinking though; Ive got a bag containing a headful of dirty ol' dreadlocks (mine) kicking around here somewhere.. eeugh!

P'po: my short n curlies are far too short n curly for that sort of carry on.. as above

Quote: "I've always wanted to do one of these myself... but the right stone has never presented itself. It looks like it will be much nicer in jade anyway.."

Dude; you could make one out of Fimo and blow our pants off (or cookie-dough/paper mache'/or even snot for that matter - charming)!

Keeping on with this one tommorrow hopefully..

Very nice Lei Niho Palaoa! I have been looking at those for a while... might need one for future hula photo shoot! Typically made of whale tooth these were worn by Hawaiian Ali'i (royalty) and quite the sign of status/rank. Very cool to see one on TC!

Back at'cha with the early morning Shouts. I see you Have been Busy, glad to see you are still getting Rasin fingers.This is a cool little piece and different from you too? A Great, Excellent different too! I still wanna see that "box of Ninety(by now) too.

that's very nice looking tama. are you going to sell it? i've been meaning to make one of these as well. started sketching about 4 or 5 months ago.

Ohhhhhh. Gman want.

Hi everyone!
Dear Tama, I´m impressed about how you and Paipo work with Pounamu, how you re-create with such respect the old day´s designs with your own touch, with personality.
Ok, here´s a link that the Forum may find interesting to watch:

http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnologydb/type.asp?type=palaoa

Thanks a lot for your great work and how you share it with us.

HUGS,

Sebas

Well????

Hi guys -

Sorry, no carving since the palaoa but all clear this afternoon (once Ive finished replying to you lot!) :)

Blowfish: Thanks. They are an intriguing form for sure. Anyone happen to know what they represent/are derived from..?

BenZ: The Box of 80 had a big cleanout a month or two back & now only contains about 8 pieces. I time-capsuled the rest simply to get them out of my sight so they stop torturing me.. I shudder to think how many hours/days/weeks worth of work I hid away but sometimes you just have to let go..

pDrake/G/Blow/anyone else who might be interested: I probably will offer this one up once its finished, but theres still a good few hours left to go yet - and then the binding..

Sebas: thanks for your kind words and for adding that link - might make that binding job a little easier actually, as I see there are simpler, beaded bidings on there too.. Although something tells me I should at least attempt the multi-strand version first (a "continuous square-sectioned 8-ply braid of human hair, folded 457 times each side" is apparently the way..!!??) Hmmm, maybe not.. :o

G: Can I get back to work now? Well..? :wink:

I didn't see my name in there and I Might be Interested, I Love that little piece!
Put me on the list
Nice chat last night or was it this morning.

myspace

NO You can't gt back to work yet.
What did you do with the pieces you removed from the box of 80. I wanted first dibbs om those so where did they go?Talk to me about themm tonight or tomorrow nite or nthe next nite or...

[ Edited by: Benzart 2008-05-29 18:21 ]

Tama ,
I went to Riki's gallery today :)
check your email .
Jock

Hey Tama... If memory serves the shape represents a Hawiian God's tongue, might be Ku. You all probably know that when a warrior or wahine stick their tongue out it is to ward off evil. So having a representation of Ku's tongue is super protective and also signifies the authority of the person wearing it as having the authority to speak over anyone else. So for the longest time these were only worn by the Ali'i (royalty) and as long as you were royalty it could be worn by both men and women.

I could be wrong about the exact God being Ku, but I am certain it represents a tongue of a God.

Here we call it
PUKANA

:P

Tama, you done with that guy yet. It seems like you got it knocked out pretty fast? I want to play another game! :)

BenZ: How about we just make an agreement - you send me all your finished work & Ill send you all mine.. deal? We'll both die penniless but happy, happy, happy.. :lol:

Toa: I cant thank you enough for that - youve opened an amazingly carved door for me.. Im also glad to see that youre finding your way around TC and ingratiating yourself with the natives. You seem to have had good direct-source learning in tikanga Maori; many of the artists here are interested in Maori culture & would do well to pick your brain if youre willing to share. I can only pass on so much and still consider myself a student along with the rest of them. A student with a slight advantage in being part-Maori and living in NZ.. :lol:

Blowfish: Cheers for that info. I believe the Maori Re-Niho was similarly of tongue-form and probably also reserved for the higher castes, Ali'i = Ariki

TikiFreak: There will be more games.. :) I know it may look as if it happens quickly via the medium of TC/internet, but believe me jade carving is a slow business.. The intial grinding may be only a matter of hours and the piece may look 90% done but from there on in it all changes down several gears. Each stage also becomes progressively slower as finer tools are used and 'fine-tuning' becomes the task at hand. The hours this Palaoa has gobbled into has even surprised me, but considering it is the first time Ive made one, perhaps not so surprising. Tell you what I rule a line..

..and continue this down here.

Being a new form and also such an Ancient/powerful form - and with me being 'tau-Iwi' from the culture concerned (dont know why it bothers me with this particular form so much when Ive 'replicated' designs/figures from other cultures before now?), I really wanted to make the best job of it that I could. There may be subtle 'rules' to the design that I havent picked up on from pics but despite a lot of trawling for info I couldnt find very much..

Still not quite finished. Ive decided to readress certain areas with a heavyish diamond cloth which will go and get it all scratched up again (!) but will iron out a bit of rippling on the curved surface underneath. After this Ill probably need to go over the whole thing again with a finer cloth. Im thinking of leaving the inside with a reasonably matte/frosted appearance and may even go so far as to polish the outer areas to a bit of a shine, to enhance this contrast. Not sure yet but the next time you see it, itll be finished - and bound. (gawd, Im waffling tonight..)

'Lei-Niho Palaoa' or in Moari 'Rei-Niho Paraoa' - carved/pierced whaletooth pendant:

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

I realize how much time and effort has gone into this piece,
but I'll still say it,
it's stunning in it's simplicity!

The 'Lei-Niho Palaoa' is a form that I have admired for many years . . . beautiful in it's complex simplicity. What I would really like to know, however, is how the form originally came to be and how it evolved into its present form. Anybody with info on this?

This example in pounamu is probably the best executed example of the 'Lei-Niho Palaoa' I have ever seen. Thanks, Tama!

'Struth , 75 pages from whoa to go . I'm sort of hankering for the days when the Muppet show was on TV in the mornings on the weekends :lol: .

Tama , your work spoke , for you are the takata pukenga . I was merely the karere .

Aye ehoa , I have had that honour . It just seems to have worked out that way.
Not much in the way of 'formal learning' tho , the only work I have done at university was with my toolbelt on :D
Other than being schooled in Mau Rakau , I just sorta picked things along the way . Seems that some of those I had a cuppa with were the right ones .

I still have to double check on my memory tho , not wanting to have nga tipuna getting hoha with me :)

PS. Tama , take on an apprentice . One of those switched on youngsters from the Kura Kaupapa Maori .
Teach each other ......

Toka

In the heart of my soul , I would that I had been born in Celtic lands ,

but I was born here , a Celt in Maori land , and my heart is content.

[ Edited by: Toataiaha 2008-05-31 06:06 ]

Greetings,
"BenZ: How about we just make an agreement - you send me all your finished work & Ill send you all mine.. deal? We'll both die penniless but happy, happy, happy.. "
I Like the sound of this so YES, Deal starting with this current one you have. I guess it will be easier to just do this every 2 weeks so the shipping people don
t get rich and retire off us? (Hmmm, Maybe THATS the business to be in? Hmmm?)
It's nice to Dream about having all your stuff but at least the inspiration you give is mine to keep, THANKS.

Sorry, Tama - I seem to have forgotten my recommendation for a suspension cord for this fine example of the 'Lei-Niho Palaoa.' In this case, I think it would be best to revert to the traditional material: braided human hair (red would probably look best).

Heath: Ill take that as a compliment - Ive been aiming for 'stunning simplicity' for the longest time.. :wink:

Timid: Thanks so much for your compliments! Hmmmmm, a red-headed donor for the braids? Ill need to go up to the whare-Paipo and see if I can sweet-talk the wahine into parting (pun intended) with a few.. :D

BenZ: One trip to the P.Office every couple of weeks? Sure, you can start by finishing up that Curly-Lono and sending him over; that'll keep me happy for a fortnight.. :wink:

Toki/Jock: Karere to the Stars! Meeting people through people is always the best way - I think you may have been that 'sign' I was waiting for in this regard. Takata pukenga? (thanks for using the Southern dialect) Getting there - I have my middle name to live up to.. Tamatea = clear-headed/thinking Man, and realise that by putting myself in the public arena as an "expert" comes with certain diplomatic responsibilties. Thankfully our own BenZart has put me in touch with a few of the Ancients and they seem to keep us on track.
As for taking on an apprentice: it has run through my mind but would probably take the form of allowing another to work along side, rather than 'under' me (I can teach 'my' way but perhaps not 'the' way of tikanga/whakairo..). There is a hard-stone carving course at Greymouth Poly that usually produces one or two carvers of note each year; I have always maintained close ties with the school and make an effort to get to know them all. When the time/person is right, it'll happen.. (for use of the workshop Id happily delegate a bit of sanding or perhaps the production of 10 toggles per week as 'payment', :lol: )
Big thanks again for your help/kindness! Och aye! :)

One more day till Im back in the chop-shop - see you tommorrow everyone!

Hey gang -

Tutu'ed around with the bindings on the Palaoa last night but didnt achieve anything worth showing, and I promised you wouldnt see it again until finished..

Only a few hours in the workshop today seeing as 'Queens Birthday' is a public holiday over here, timed each year to coincide with a weekend - makes up for not having an Independance Day I guess.. :wink:

So anyhoo - made a start on a new piece, bid aloha to Hawaii for the moment and jumped over to the Austral Islands:

*spot the little Crawford/Monroe inclusion while you can - diamonds may be a girls best friend but theyll buzz your beauty spot off in seconds if youre not careful! (and while were on the subject; even though its said they are forever - 'diamonds are for ages' is probably more accurate..) :lol:

Back into it tommorrow - happy carving all!

On 2008-06-01 22:31, Tamapoutini wrote:

Only a few hours in the workshop today seeing as 'Queens Birthday' is a public holiday over here, timed each year to coincide with a weekend - makes up for not having an Independance Day I guess.. :wink:

The really strange thing is the the Wee German woman's birthday is back in April somewhere . :lol:

" what mole is this I spy ? " :D

did ya mow the lawn today instead mate ......

In the heart of my soul I would that I had been born in Celtic lands
but I was born here a Celt in Maori lands and my heart is content

[ Edited by: Toataiaha 2008-06-01 23:03 ]

Very nice Tama!!! I'm liking the change up.

Greetings Sir, I'm Sure that if you Really Wanted to you could work around that "Mole" and let her keep it, She was SO Proud of it! This Astral Islands piece looks like it will be another in your Long list of Excellent pieces. Just add it to my box, and NO Slacking today, I want a Full days work here!. :lol: :lol: :lol:

On 2008-06-01 22:56, Toataiaha wrote:

The really strange thing is the the Wee German woman's birthday is back in April somewhere . :lol:

Toka: Ive got a feeling we actually celebrate her fathers b'day on 'Queens Birthday' weekend, but dont quote me.? Campbell (Live) mentioned that although HRH doesnt get any older, June 2nd IS the birthday of the Queen of some African Nation.. Quite young early 30's.. bit of a hottie :)

TFreak: Thanks - its a deliberate effort now to get around some of the Islands that Ive never visited (if you cant do it physically, why not go there in your head/heart/art? :wink: ). Im glad the changes/differences between cultures/styles is subtle, as it easily leads from one piece to the next despite the island hopping. Feels like an educational pilgrimage..

BenZine: Sadly that little 'ira' is just nths of mm below the surface and doesnt stand a chance. Good thing too - 'she' is actually a HE and would look like a right Nancy with a beauty-spot! :lol:

A full days work from me? Almost 10.30am here, can I start now..? :wink:

Looks like the little green man is of to a good start.
Still cant get over how cool that green looks thru the
light.

On 2008-06-02 15:22, Tamapoutini wrote:
BenZine: Sadly that little 'ira' is just nths of mm below the surface and doesnt stand a chance. Good thing too - 'she' is actually a HE and would look like a right Nancy with a beauty-spot! :lol:

Too bad the spot was so shallow, even though you would have had to change the gender, it would have made a really unique piece. (not that yours are not exceptionally unique as they are)

• JP

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[ Edited by: JohnnyP 2008-06-03 16:29 ]

This just in: Lei Niho Palaoa is finished! (and available - more pics over in marketplace..)

'He Pounamu Palaoa':

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Cheers Seeks: wish I could take credit for the pretty colour but..

Thanks too JP!

Top skills there Tama .

that will look choice hanging from the Holden's mirror :lol:

Is that a first , a Lei Niho Pounamu ? has it been done before ?

Tama, Just about as Beautiful as Beautiful can get. (droooolll!)
Just drop it in my box for shipment when the box is full!
It really Feels great Knowing I'm getting all this Great stuff.:lol:

Great job Tama!! I like the more modern approach on the cord! It looks like you gave it the "feel" of the hair but w/out the hair!?!?

Hey Everyone - a solid day today..

Big thanks Toka, BenZ & TikiFreak - youll be pleased to know the Pounamu Palaoa found a good home. Yes, I do believe a world first in pounamu. TF, I went for the minimalist approach with those bindings: minimalised 457 strands down to about 18.. :wink:

Update:

A new one Ive been picking away at for the past couple of days:
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On 2008-05-19 03:19, Paipo wrote:

What the!!??? You can't just leave it like that and move onto something else! FINISH HIM!

Finshed him:

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*Now available in the marketplace.. :wink:

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Man , that wee fella has freaky eyes :o

Very shweet! I like the little guy!

Still watching the mailbox for my own little green man! :D

TAMA, It's about Time you finished this guy, STOP what you're doing right now and put him in my box Straight away before anyone else tries to get him

BenZart , when you go to visit Tama , are you going to be able lift that box up and carry it home ?
The hill road back over to the airport is a long steep one ya know :lol:

On 2008-06-05 02:28, Toataiaha wrote:
BenZart , when you go to visit Tama , are you going to be able lift that box up and carry it home ?
The hill road back over to the airport is a long steep one ya know :lol:

True, and you'll need snow chains this time of year BenZ.. Tell you what, you carve a decent ocean-going vaaka and bring my first consignment straight over to the West Coast, stay a while and then Ill load you up for the return trip. One of the Kiwis might even help you paddle back. :lol:

On 2008-06-05 03:55, Tamapoutini wrote:

On 2008-06-05 02:28, Toataiaha wrote:
BenZart , when you go to visit Tama , are you going to be able lift that box up and carry it home ?
The hill road back over to the airport is a long steep one ya know :lol:

True, and you'll need snow chains this time of year BenZ.. Tell you what, you carve a decent ocean-going vaaka and bring my first consignment straight over to the West Coast, stay a while and then Ill load you up for the return trip. One of the Kiwis might even help you paddle back. :lol:

Me Me pick Me

Tama, green guy looks wicked! really nice!

Ohhhhh (wipes drool from mouth) that new guy is the shizzam. That is especially appealing to me....

Mu mm nice! I just want to lick or suck on that little green thing.
(NOT IN A SEXUAL WAY BY THE WAY) (IN A CANDY WAY)

Aloha Tama! Those are some more SWEET carvings my friend! I love the way you make all the line just flow together really magical! Aloha yourfriend Mooney