Rei Niho Pounamu

Enjoy a full day creating a Rei Niho Pounamu in this tikanga based, contemporary whakairo workshop.  
 
Rei niho or Niho Tohora/ Whales tooth pendants were traditionally made from whales’ teeth. These taonga can be traced back to Eastern Polynesia and the first wave of ancient adventurers who landed in Aotearoa. 
 
These contemporary Pounamu whales’ teeth represent the voyaging mavericks that travelled the Pacific and intrepidly explored new lands using ocean currents and star maps to cross the seas and discover the undiscovered lands of the Pacific. 
 
In this one-day workshop, Maha and Laura will introduce participants to new skill sets, using grinders, drills, wet and dry sanding techniques and polishing tools while also learning lashing and binding techniques used to finish and wear their taonga. 
 
Experienced tutor Maha is of Waikato Tainui, Rangitane, Ngati Kauwhata, Ngati Toa and Kāi Tahu descent, and his hapu in Te Wai Pounamu is Kāti Huirapa of Arowhenua in Temuka. Maha has a bachelor’s degree in creative arts and a post-graduate diploma in Cross-Cultural Supervision and is the Director at Aotearoa Bone and Stone Carving.