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The ancestors of New Zealand Maori brought with them a priceless legacy of knowledge and technology for the art of carving. With an abundance of majestic trees at their fingertips, craftsmen were in a plentiful position, but even so, no tree was felled without paying respect to Tane, God of the Forests, with an appropriate prayer (karakia).

In legend, Tanemahuta (Tane) is both ancestor of the trees and ancestor of mankind. This connection makes the native trees our relatives, and so deserving of a special respect. To anger Tane was to invite harm on yourself or your family. Mother Earth, and the trees which clothe her, are seen as permanent and lasting in this interwoven mystical world. One's own being is seen as temporary and mortal by comparison.

Woodcarving was a means of representing the mythology and geneology of this world. A love for carving human forms was born from a value system of deep, sentimental, ancestral reverence and connection with family. Maori ancestors gave descendants their name and tribal rights to lands, forests and fishing. Wood carvings were named after these forebears and given special powers. The very first piece created by a new carver was always given away to appease the gods.

Our carvings are made using renewable woods to preserve both the history of carving and the forests of Aotearoa New Zealand.