$120.00
Our Whakakai (pendants) blend natural materials and whakaaro Māori with a nod to customary design. A contemporary taonga that is perfect for everyday life.
Each taonga is made from uku - clay in our Taranaki based studio. We create custom designs which are impressed into the uku, before being formed and refined into pendants. Once the clay is completely dry, it is bisque fired in our kiln at 1200 degrees, turning the once malleable uku to a hard and brittle material. From here, we sand and refine before glazing in our Aho glazes. The whakakai then returns to the kiln for the final glaze firing where the glaze turns from a powdery layer into a glass. Once glazed, we bind them with 100% cotton waxed cord with an adjustable slip knot to style at your own length and preference.
Across the taonga we currently have 4 designs and a myriad of coloured glazes for you to select from. There's a little something for everyone.
Care: These taonga are ceramic so we suggest you treat them with care. Take them on and off while standing over a soft flooring, like carpet or a rug, (not tile or concrete) lest you drop them. They’ll survive knocks and bangs but not excessive jarring or being dropped from a height onto something hard- not dissimilar to Pounamu.
We produce our taonga in small batches to allow us to play with glaze and design, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship and finishing. Each taonga will come shipped with a card that speaks to the design intention.
In our first release, there are no two alike with different binding and glaze combinations across each.
Design: He Kākano
This design draws inspiration from the whakataukī:
“E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea.”
“I will never be lost, for I am a seed sown in Rangiātea.”
The floral motif serves as a visual homage to our Polynesian ancestors who journeyed to Aotearoa from the ancestral land of Rangiātea. It symbolizes our shared whakapapa across the Pacific and our enduring connection to these lands. Much like seeds scattered and sown anew, we continue to grow and thrive, rooted in the wisdom and heritage of our tūpuna.
