Shapes & Meanings
Discover the meanings behind traditional pounamu shapes and designs to help you choose the perfect taonga.
Moko Pounamu Knowledge Library
Pounamu comes in many shades and varieties. In this blog post we introduce you to all of the shades we work with, their names, where they usually come from and their characteristics. Read on.
In our latest blog, we explore the origins of hei toki, its profound meaning, and the variations crafted by our skilled artisan carvers.
For many, wearing a manaia is not just about putting on a piece of jewellery—it is about carrying a piece of spiritual protection and cultural heritage with them.
The Toki is a symbol of courage, strength, determination and authority, given as a gift to represent these things, and to honour the recipients' mana (pride).
Discover the history, meaning and types of Pounamu available in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hei tiki are multifaceted taonga. A hei tiki is an image carved in human form that is worn suspended around the neck as a pendant. Moko Pounamu also sells Tiki sculptures.
The second most common shape found in pounamu carvings is the koru, so we have created a post about the meaning of koru and why it’s such a popular pounamu design. In te reo Māori, the word ‘koru’ means fold, loop or coil. It is also the name of a curled shoot, on a ponga tree for example.
In Māori, the word ‘matau’ means fish hook. ‘Hei’ indicates that the matau hangs around the neck. For Māori there is a special connection to the fish hook design because according to Māori legend, the North Island of New Zealand was once a fish, and was caught and brought up to the surface by Maui.
