| The term tiki is applied to carved human figures | | | | tiki, and some have paua (Haliotus, the abalone) shell |
| generally, both by the Maori and by other Polynesians. | | | | eyes. |
| The name possibly has some connection with the | | | | The arrival of 19th century technology allowed a major |
| myth of Tiki, the first man created by Tane. On the | | | | burst of commercial manufacture of tiki mainly for a |
| other hand tiki or tikitiki is also a general term for | | | | New Zealand market. Many supposedly old tiki date |
| carving in many parts of Polynesia, as, for instance, in | | | | from the late 19th century and reveal themselves |
| Niue, where the Tiki myth is unknown and human | | | | through details such as the suspension perforation |
| figures were not carved. In New Zealand, however, tiki | | | | being straight sided. Some nephrite ornaments were |
| is usually applied to the human figure carved in green | | | | gold mounted in the 19th century. Again this does not |
| stone as a neck ornament. The full name is hei-tiki. | | | | necessarily indicate the nephrite ornament was of that |
| It has been suggested that this ornament is a fertility | | | | date. |
| charm representing the human embryo, and that it | | | | Tiki remain prestige items in New Zealand today; |
| should be worn only by women. However, early | | | | heirlooms (toanga) in Maori families and European |
| European visitors saw men wearing the hei-tiki and it is | | | | families as well. They are worn by Maori on |
| probable that the squat shape of the figure was | | | | ceremonial occasions. Most tiki are not ancient and |
| influenced by the hardness of the material and that it | | | | some are 19th century commercial products but |
| was later likened to an embryo and endowed with | | | | nonetheless highly valued treasures to their owners. |
| magical powers. The shape is also probably due to the | | | | Materials used |
| fact that tiki were often made from adze blades. | | | | Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu (green stone) |
| Adzes and chisels made from greenstone were also | | | | and worn around the neck. They are often incorrectly |
| prestige items and the shape of a green stone adze | | | | referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large |
| lends itself to conversion into a tiki. There are several | | | | human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small |
| extant examples of half-finished tiki evidently originally | | | | wooden carvings used to mark sacred places. |
| small adzes and sometimes on completed tiki, traces | | | | One theory of the origin of the hei-tiki suggests a |
| of the original cutting end shaping of a adze can be | | | | connection with Tiki, the first man in Māori legend. |
| seen, usually at the foot. | | | | According to Horatio Robley, there are two main ideas |
| Tiki or heitiki are most commonly made from nephrite, | | | | behind the symbolism of hei-tiki: they are either |
| a stone related to jade and found in several places in | | | | memorials to ancestors, or represent the goddess of |
| New Zealand's South Island. It is called pounamu in | | | | childbirth, Hineteiwaiwa. The rationale behind the first |
| Maori, green stone in New Zealand English. The Maori | | | | idea is that they were often buried when their kaitiaki |
| name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, refers to | | | | (guardian) died and would be later retrieved and placed |
| this stone. There are traditional accounts for the | | | | somewhere special to be brought out in times of |
| creation of the stone which relate it to the children of | | | | tangihanga. In terms of the idea of Hineteiwaiwa, hei-tiki |
| Tangaroa. It is a very hard stone and is laborious to | | | | were often given to women having trouble conceiving |
| work, especially so with the primitive grinding tools | | | | by her husband's family. |
| available to the neolithic Maori. The tiki in the form | | | | The most valuable hei-tiki are carved from green |
| illustrated here is unique to New Zealand and arguably | | | | stone or pounamu. New Zealand green stone consists |
| the most archetypical Maori artifact, although the work | | | | of either nephrite (a type of jade, in Māori: |
| tiki applied to fertility symbols is extremely common | | | | pounamu) or bowenite (Māori: tangiwai). |
| throughout polynesia. | | | | Pounamu is esteemed highly by Māori for its |
| Green stone, like jade, is a beautiful stone - classed as | | | | beauty, toughness and great hardness; it is used not |
| semi-precious - and quite variable in appearance. The | | | | only for ornaments such as hei-tiki and ear pendants, |
| varieties have Maori names. Its luster improves with | | | | but also for carving tools, adzes, and weapons. Named |
| age, reputedly as a result of being worn next to the | | | | varieties include translucent green kahurangi, whitish |
| skin. Tiki were worn around the neck - the hei part of | | | | inanga, semi-transparent kawakawa, and tangiwai or |
| the name carries this implication. They are more often, | | | | bowenite. |
| but not exclusively, worn by women in recent times. | | | | Types of Hei-tiki |
| Suspension is usually vertical but some are suspended | | | | Traditionally there were several types of hei-tiki which |
| on their side. | | | | varied widely in form. Modern-day hei-tiki however, |
| Some traditional tiki in bone and ivory exist, made from | | | | may be divided into two types. The first type is rather |
| whale bone or teeth, but as bone tiki are now | | | | delicate. with a head/body ratio of approximately 30 |
| commonly made for commercial trade, a bone tiki | | | | 70, with small details included, such as ears, elbows, |
| found in a shop is more likely to be recent and of cow | | | | and knees. The head is on a tilt, and one hand is |
| bone. Most tiki are one sided but a few are reversible | | | | placed on the thigh, and the other on the chest. The |
| showing a figure on both faces. | | | | eyes are relatively small. The second type is in general |
| Although the Maori have occupied New Zealand since | | | | heavier than the first. It has a 40/60 head/body ratio, |
| about 1000 AD, the historical origins of tiki are not | | | | both hands are on the thighs, and the eyes are |
| understood as they are virtually absent from the | | | | proportionately larger. |
| archaeological record. For a precious item, this is not | | | | Manufacture |
| surprising because few would have been lost or | | | | From the size and style of traditional examples of |
| discarded. Conventionally though they are associated | | | | hei-tiki it is likely that the stone was first cut in the form |
| with the later part of New Zealand's prehistory, as | | | | of a small adze. The tilted head of the pitau variety of |
| nephrite is uncommon in early sites. They were | | | | hei-tiki derives from the properties of the stone - its |
| certainly in use at the time of the first contact with | | | | hardness and great value make it important to |
| Europeans. Some individual tiki have names and | | | | minimise the amount of the stone that has to be |
| traditional histories extending well back into the past. | | | | removed. Creating a hei-tiki with traditional methods is |
| Others have renewed suspension perforations | | | | a long, arduous process during which the stone is |
| replacing old ones that have worn through, showing | | | | smoothed by abrasive rubbing; finally, using sticks and |
| they have seen much use over a long time. | | | | water, it is slowly shaped and the holes bored out. |
| Sites of manufacture of nephrite tools and ornaments | | | | After laborious and lengthy polishing, the completed |
| have been found on the east coast of the South | | | | pendant is suspended by a plaited cord and secured |
| Island. However, the tools and ornaments were much | | | | by a loop and toggle. |
| used in the North Island where most of the population | | | | Current popularity |
| lived. Trade and exchange appears not to have been | | | | Among the other tāonga (treasured |
| all in finished goods because there are regional styles | | | | possessions) used as items of personal adornment |
| of nephrite ornaments in the North Island which | | | | are bone carvings in the form of earrings or necklaces. |
| suggest that at least some of the manufacture was | | | | For many Māori the wearing of such items |
| local, either from native stone or from green stone | | | | relates to Māori cultural identity. They are also |
| adze blades. | | | | popular with young New Zealanders of all |
| There is some variety in the forms of tiki but this | | | | backgrounds for whom the pendants relate to a more |
| variation has not been very fully studied in relation to | | | | generalized sense of New Zealand identity. Several |
| region of origin. The head inclined left or right appears | | | | artistic collectives have been established by |
| to have no particular significance. One clear variation is | | | | Māori tribal groups. These collectives have begun |
| between tiki with the head upright and those with the | | | | creating and exporting jewelery (such as bone carved |
| head tilted sideways. The likely explanation for the | | | | pendants based on traditional fishhooks hei matau and |
| latter form is that it comes naturally from the use of | | | | other green stone jewelery) and other artistic items |
| rectangular adze blades as raw material. Iron axe and | | | | (such as wood carvings and textiles). Several actors |
| adze blades rapidly replaced nephrite adzes in the | | | | who have recently appeared in high-profile movies |
| early 19th century and coincided with an increasing | | | | filmed in New Zealand have come back wearing such |
| market for commercial tiki. Other variations occur in the | | | | jewelery, including Viggo Mortensen of The Lord of the |
| positions of the arms. In some the arms are | | | | Rings fame, took to wearing a hei matau around his |
| asymmetric with one arm on the torso rather than the | | | | neck. These trends have contributed towards a |
| legs, or up to the mouth. | | | | worldwide interest in traditional Māori culture and |
| The eyes are often filled with red sealing wax of | | | | arts. |
| European origin. Wax was added to the eyes of older | | | | |