Hei Tiki Adze 4 Inch

Hei Tiki Adze

The Tiki is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol. The wearer of this symbol is thought to possess clarity of thought, strength of character, loyalty and great inner knowledge.

The Tiki is a very ancient symbol and is by far the least understood so there are a number of legends about its meaning. Some say Tiki came from the stars and that Tiki was the first man of the world. Tiki is also often depicted with webbed feet which suggests a strong link to the creatures of the sea. Tiki was respected as the teacher of all things.

The Adze (Toki) is traditionally worn by Maori elders, it represents power, wisdom and authority.

New Zealand produces some of the finest nephrite Jade in the world. Nephrite Jade in New Zealand is referred to by Maori as Pounamu. Pounamu has great signifigance for Maori, it is believed Pounamu (Greenstone/Jade) absorbs the mana or spirit of the wearer. It is also renowned for its toughness and beauty.

Greenstone, or Jade, is obtainable only in the South Island of New Zealand, in remote, rugged places on the West Coast and to a lesser extent in Fiordland and Central Otago. Being extremely hard and tough it was very difficult to work, until a new technique of abrasive cutting was developed some five hundred years ago. This was most laborious but gave workmen precise control over their materials. From that time greenstone adzes and chisels were used extensively in woodworking, and finer carving became possible. Pieces of greenstone were the most precious of trade commodities, passed from hand to hand until they reached the most distant parts of the country.

Several Maori myths explain the origin of greenstone. In one of the best known, greenstone was a fish named Poutini that swam from Hawaiki to its present location at Aotearoa. This fish was a pet of a man named Ngahue.