The Meaning Behind The Toki

Recently we’ve been writing in depth about Pounamu shapes and their meanings. 

That is to say, what shapes the carvings represent, their historical origins and why they’re relevant today. We get asked a lot about greenstone shape meanings which is why we’ve been writing in such detail about a variety of shapes that we commonly have in our gallery and shop.

Previously in this series we have written blogs about the meanings of hei tiki (the form of a man), greenstone koru (a spiral) and hei matau (a fishhook). Each shape and form carries significant and special meanings which makes for interesting reading. Have a read of them all in our blog library - click here.

Another very common shape seen in pounamu carvings is the toki. When hung around a person’s neck it looks unassuming, simple and familiar. We see this shape a lot in pounamu jewellery carving. But in fact, many years ago it was originally a widely-used and important tool.

Toki translates to ‘adze’ in English and if you look closely at the form of a toki you will see that one end is left thick (sometimes with some notches in it), and the other slopes away into the sharp edge of a blade. The thick end was traditionally attached to a stick with flax to create a tool for chiselling and cutting things. Resembling the blade of an axe. Some of the denser varieties of pounamu (greenstone) are able to be carved into very sharp edges, offering a blade sharp enough to cut meat, wood and flax, and for carving too.

Various sizes can be found throughout Aotearoa of taonga (family heirlooms) handed down and newly carved artwork, too. Traditionally a toki was made according to its intended use. It might have been for carving larger pieces of wood, or more intricate and detailed work. It was considered a sign of strength and power for a toki to be used ceremonially by notable iwi (tribe) members, to cut down a large tree for example.

Moving into modern day, the toki is a symbol of courage, strength, determination and authority. Toki are often given as gifts to represent these things, and to honour the mana (pride) of the person receiving it.

Here at Moko Pounamu we have many toki pieces which have been artfully carved and are ready to be viewed and purchased. Take a look at our Toki pendant collection to find a piece that catches your eye, and keep an eye out for our next blog as we go into more detail about the meaning behind another recognisable pounamu carving shape.