This is part of a stunning series of Pounamu Bowls (Ipu Kōhatu). This fabulous bowl is hand carved from a wonderful piece of Totoweka Pounamu and will be a thoughtful taonga.
Ipu Kōhatu- Pounamu (greenstone) bowls, are exquisite, hand-carved taonga (treasures) crafted from New Zealand nephrite jade, often used for display, holding small treasures, or ceremonial purposes. Hand carved from South Island pounamu (mostly Kawakawa or Tangiwai), these bowls are shaped using diamond-tipped tools or traditional grinding techniques, often polished to highlight the stone's natural beauty and veining.
While often used for modern decorative art, traditionally in a cultural context, specific bowls were used to hold water for the whakanoa ritual—a process of cleansing to remove tapu (sacred restrictions) from people, allowing them to return to a noa (ordinary/free) state, particularly after visiting cemeteries or sacred spaces.
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.
Hand Carved by Daryl Munro
Size 145mm long x 68mm wide 20mm high
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.
