(Breath of mine)
 

This carving depicts Kahukura Uenuku the Maori God who has the special function of looking after the Earth Mother, Papa tu a Uenuku or Papatuanuku. His colourful manifestations are as kahukura, the red admiral butterfly and as Uenuku, the rainbow . These are both represented here with the red admiral form represented on this side as a ‘butterfly person’ and distinguished by antennae. Because the caterpillar of the red admiral eats only nettle it has become endangered by our wish to keep stinging things away, usually by using various toxic methods which also reach the soil. This piece is therefore a reminder of the wisdom of this god and his messages and a reminder that we can assist and hopefully somewhere find space to plant some nettle. On the other side he is seen as the spirit of Uenuku with the rainbow’s colours represented by the upstretched fingers and down pointing toes. Traditionally an image of Uenuku was kept near the garden to ensure the health of the soil was protected. Sometimes an image of him was taken when on the warpath to assist with divining. Rainbows are carefully observe as they can be tohu or signs to help people make the correct choices or decisions. This representation is carved from niho paraoa, the tooth of a sperm whale which came ashore on Onetahua, Farewell Spit and was named Whaowhia. In its display case it hovers over a healthy-looking depiction of a mara where some green ongaonga, or nettle grows.

The original ancient, but now incomplete, carving which inspired this has been a marvel to me for many years, the remaining detail, its shapes and its flowing form indicate awesome skills, even more so when one considers the tools available to its creator. I also wondered what story it told. It had come from Te Pataka o Rakaihautu, Banks Peninsula and is now in Canterbury Museum under the guardianship of Te Runaka o Koukourarata. This version pays respect to its creators and owners and honours the ideas it conveys to enrich our world. When I received a suitable niho paraoa, or sperm whale tooth to do my imagined version of it completed I waited more years while I thought of a story which would explain my version. Reading the book Kakapo by Alison Balance. I decided a current story would be fitting so I carved the bird as Felix the male kakapo who has sired so many chicks in the kakapo recovery programme. The line of upward curves represent his great booming calls and the serrations along the top are the high-pitched directional sounds he makes. The stylised face profiles along the bottom represent some of his ancestors, and the ones along the sides represent his mates and some of his progeny. The carving is nestled in an old piece of driftwood which washed up on the beach near my driveway.

The enormous toroa spend most of their lives gliding over the wave crests on motionless wings seldom even meeting their relations. For this carving, toroa views his reflection in the waters of a very calm day when he has to use his wings more often. While the sounds of albatross cries are not music to most other beings, when these great birds come back to land at their nesting sites and greet their mates, the rhythmic clapping of their bills punctuated with a variety of gentle vocalisations is quite memorable. That their eyes appear to be crying makes their homecoming so special that it is captured in traditional sayings, song and art.

These tiny, delightful birds which tend to arrive in small flocks to our gardens in winter are usually noticed first by their gentle flocking calls as they clean up insects or sip nectar from kowhai and other flowers. However, like several taonga puoro, they also have quiet songs. These are heard when they are alone and sound like a blackbird whispering, so much so that for years I just thought that I was hearing a blackbird in the distance. It is a delicate song that is well worth listening for. I have carved this one as both the flocking member and as the singer.

As well as having such special songs that even the other songbirds keep trying to emulate them, these amazing birds have a very special pair bond, probably lasting for life. This is seen as mutual feeding, and also in their mating dance, or sometimes, from a perch in a tree, the male dances with wings flapping and tail fanned while singing. They often sing while feeding and when one breaks the song to catch an insect or eat a berry the other will continue the song. Here they are carved with the male dancing around the female in a courtship display.

Korimako are exquisite birds both in looks and song. Sadly their massed singing of a dawn chorus like a chiming of bells, is seldom heard now. But it is from this that their English name is derived. In Maori oratory it is a huge compliment to liken someone to a bellbird, either for their beauty, oratory or fine singing. In this carving korimako sees her reflection as she flies over a pond but in her heart knows that she is a ‘wahine korimako’ or ‘bellbird person’ with a song that quickens the listener’s heart.

Purerehua are children from the family of Tawhirmatea, the wind god, and as the winds have no visible body they are ‘spirit children’, these instruments try to emulate their sounds and therefore they also share that esteem. In a Southern story they also had a practical purpose and then were named ‘Hamumu Ira Garara’ for the sound that entices the lizards from their hiding. The carving on this one depicts a family of lizards attracted by the sounds they sense which resembles the fluttering of a big juicy moth or purerehua. It comes with a handle which makes its use less stressful for the user. This is adorned with a small effigy representing Tane the father of trees and many living things

The purerehua is like similar instruments found in many cultures and its common stature as a child’s plaything belies its traditional status. Its urgent chant was used for spiritual purposes and some were famed as rain callers, with the player’s own life force deemed to be travelling along the cord to disperse their thoughts to the four winds. This Purerehua is carved from beef bone. It is played by swinging it around above the head after giving it a twist to set it spinning as it is launched. The pattern is an acknowledgement of the wind songs it creates as the sounds make shapes in the silence. The design is done in four sections representing Nga Hau e Wha, the four winds, a traditional saying which includes people from all places. The plain and carved areas also represent the complementary concepts of Ira, the Life Force, Ira Atua, the Spiritual and Ira Tangata, the Physical

Porotiti create ultrasounds and vibrations and they were used by old people to ease arthritis pains. Playing them over the faces and chests of sleeping children helped clear the mucus from their sinuses. They are one of several instruments which create quiet, private sounds like Raukatauri and can also become beautiful, functional pendants. Porototi are children from the family of Tawhirmatea, the wind god, and as the winds have no visible body they are ‘spirit children’, these instruments try to emulate their sounds and therefore they also share that esteem. This one, carved from a knot of matai, features a rapidly flying kopara, or female bellbird because the sound of their fast beating wings is similar to her being twirled gently.

The porotiti is usually an oval disc with a cord going through two off-centre holes. It is played by looping the cord around the hands then twirling it a little to start it spinning. By applying alternate pressure then relaxing the cord each time the disc untwines, a hum is created. Then by carefully blowing gently on its vanes, it starts to sing and create its own songs. One naming has them as kororohua when just spinning, changing to kōrerohua when being blown on. By varying the breath, new rhythms can be created. Porotiti are used as ‘songcatchers’ where the player listens to this korero to set rhythm for the composition of mōteatea, songs. They were also used as accompaniment to karakia, or prayers. This one is carved from bone. The designs represent Nga Hau e Wha, the four winds, which carry the wishes of the player to the world.

This nguru has its larger, blown end carved to represent the face of the instrument. The two South Island kokako carved on the underside, have come to the sound of the song carved on the nguru. They are carved in the ancient style of the whale tooth kaka carving from Te Pataka o Rakaihautu, Bank’s Peninsula. They epitomise the importance of keeping the essence of ancient traditions alive in today’s world. The patterning on the body of the nguru represents the music going out to the world and making pleasing shapes in the silence.

Underneath this small nguru, is korimako who has heard the song and come looking for Raukatauri to listen and learn her wondrous song. His design is inspired by the bird on an ancient whale tooth carving from the central South Island though the wings are depicted as hands to show that he is a ‘bird person’. This nguru has been slightly modified to become easily played from the upturned end with the breath of the nose. The dawn chorus of a mass of these birds is reflected in its name, which refers to that carillion like sound and also to its rapid flight

This nguru has the name Hidden Songsters because hidden in the song pattern on the body of the flute are songbirds shaped in the ancient rock painting style. A wooden nguru in Te Papa Tongawera has a small poi or flax ball attached to it which fits snuggly into the mouth of the flute. We found that sometimes wooden nguru, because of their enclosed design sometimes stop singing after a while but a quick wipe of the inside bore quickly restores their voice

Despite the difficulty of making a nguru from such hard material as this whale tooth, especially with ancient tools, many have survived and are in museum collections. It is no wonder that they are prized taonga. Their hardness and density also gives them esteemed musical qualities and it also means that they do not get their song fogged with condensation like wooden ones sometimes do. This sweet sounding tooth is carved as the paraoa or sperm whale from which it came many years ago

The first mention of pumoana or putatara in ancient mythology is when two of them were blown to signal the success of the god Tane in his mission to ascend to the topmost heaven and obtain the baskets of knowledge necessary for survival on the earth. They are still used for announcing special events when they are blown like a trumpet. These were so special that people would recognise the identity of an approaching visitor by the sound of the putatara. Most of the old instruments were small heavy shells. Occasionally the large triton shells like this one were washed up to become very special treasures. A later legend tells how a mysterious song heard by fishermen came from one of these shellfish as it retreated to safety when hauled aboard clinging to a net. This taonga has a double face on the mouthpiece which represents its male trumpeting voice and the female crying sound of Hine Mokemoke, the ‘Lonesome Maiden’. It also reflects the significance of joining a shell from the sea god’s realm with the wood from the forest god’s as a symbolic peace truce between them. Seabird feathers dangling from the end, complement the traditional adornment of this taonga.

Kokako or the blue-wattled crow is the world’s purest- noted songbird. This attribute was gained in mythological times after kokako did a favour for the demigod Maui, who granted him decorative wattles and told him the secret of song was to eat Raukatauri, the casemoth, goddess of flute music. Thus he became the first amplifier and lets us hear her beautiful song which other songbirds, like the tui and bellbird, also try to copy. The sometimes organ-like song of kokako is the most haunting sound and is truly unforgettable when heard in the forest. When not being worn these kaitiaki, carved from koiwi paraoa, (sperm whale bone) become an interesting conversation piece in their nest carved from native matai.

Myth tells how the South Island was created from the waka of Aoraki and its crew who were turned to stone after their waka rolled onto its side after striking a reef in a great storm. Atua, descendants of Rangi and Papa, under the leadership of Takaroa and Tu te Raki Whanoa, were given the task of making it a suitable habitation for people. Since then these two, in the form of humpback whales, swim around our shores to keep a watch on their handiwork. Humpbacks are awesome singers sometimes coming together to join in their song cycle which travels vast distances through the ocean. These songs when speeded up are in stanzas that sound much like that of a blackbird.

To see the majestic white heron, the kotuku, is a sight to make your spirits soar. Its regal posture and pure colour reflect its status as the most sacred bird of Aotearoa. This is reflected in a famous saying, He Kotuku Rerenga Tahi, the bird of a single flight. Because for some it is a magnificent sight seen only once in a lifetime. Kotuku also command a very special place in Maori lore as a spirit messenger. Kotuku and hakuwai were the guardian birds who accompanied Tane on his climb to seek the kete of knowledge from Io, thus they are a kaitiaki for people who are also special. Here they are reaffirming their bonds on returning to Okarito for the next breeding season.

Blue whales are the largest beings known to have lived on Earth, and are some of the eldest children of Takaroa, the Sea God. Their songs travel through the great oceans so well that recently a study group of scientists set their hydrophones out in the west of Te Ara a Kewa, Foveaux Strait, picked up their song then followed it down to Antarctica to learn more about them. Because this song is so prodigious I carved this large wapiti leg bone as a koauau with his flippers carved as giant hands to remind us that he is a ‘whale person’ and indeed the bones within these flippers are like gigantic human hand bones.

This koauau has its larger, blown end carved to represent the face of the instrument. The lips, nose and eyes are carved around the open mouth through which it is played. When playing, the instrument’s nose is brought close to the player’s as in the traditional Maori hongi, or greeting where breath is shared. The other end is carved in a similar way, but with two noses as this is the face of the music, which is created by the breaths of the player and of the koauau. Kokako is carved on the underside of this koauau having mistaken its song for that of Raukatauri who he has come to eat in order to enrich his song. Like him the koauau amplifies parts of her song which we also treasure.

This koauau has a male moth carved on the underside reminding us that when he hears the amazing sound of Raukatauri singing he must come to be with her. He is carved as a ‘moth person’ with antennae, which like heru or hair ornaments, help us to identify him as a moth. His arms rise up past his head and his hands flatten out becoming stylised wings. With the koru at the bottom signifying the wonderful gift of flight they have been given. The slightly bulging shape of koauau represents the tungoungou or case of the casemoths. This shaping is often used as an acknowledgement of the importance of these ‘houses’.

Koauau have several traditional functions from assisting in childbirth, to healing broken bones and mourning the departed. They also are used for transmitting history through songs and for songs which entertain where they act as a kinaki or embellishment to the song. Along the sides are a pair of tui who have heard the song and come to listen and learn then try to imitate it. Their design is inspired by a bird on an ancient whale tooth carving from the central South Island though the wings are depicted as hands to show that they are ‘bird people’. The patterning on the body of this koauau, which is carved from ancient swamp matai, represents the music going out to the world and making pleasing shapes in the silence.

Figures on the ends of this koauau represent a pair of korimako or bellbirds with their large hands representing their wings. The patterning on the body of this flute is adapted from the taowaru design to represent the flowering kowhai tree, which provides delicious nectar, a favourite food of bellbirds, tui and other birds. Along the sides are two rows of manaia-style faces representing the traditions of passing the songs and tunes through the generations. This koauau is carved from ostrich bone which has very similar shape and size to the moa leg bones of long ago. Though human bones traditionally were known as making the most cherished songs, these and emu bones make an acceptable substitute.

There are several instruments which also create quiet, private sounds like Raukatauri and this is one. Some of these can also become beautiful and functional pendants and this one, carved from matai is a stylization of a riroriro, or grey warbler. Originally, the purpose of this tiny flute was to lure birds by mimicking their own calls, sometimes to come into the hunter’s range for easy capture. By placing the pursed lips at the correct angle to the mouthpiece and blowing, the player is able to mimic several kinds of bird calls. Today this little flute can create interesting and humorous responses from garden birds and forest dwellers alike. Then as we reflect on these beautiful sounds we can create our own bird-inspired songs. The matai karanga manu is treated with an organic oil enhanced with a mixture of traditional kokowai, or ochre.

This bird call represents the friendly and cheerful sounding little fantail, which sometimes in tradition, is likened to a warrior dancing around as if challenging us to catch it. These bird calls were brought back to life when Richard Nunns, a member of Haumanu, a group dedicated to the revival of traditional Maori instrumental music, found a stone one in the collection of the National Museum of New Zealand, now called Te Papa Tongawera. He put it to his lips and immediately assured the custodians that it was indeed correctly labeled. That original one was made from soapstone but these tiny ones made from matai are a charming substitute.

In the Hall of Mankind of the British Museum lies a small soapstone carving like a nguru but with only the one finger hole at its upturned end. It was a great surprise to this researcher when he put it to his lips and heard the distinctive weka call that cheekily echoed from it so far from home. From replicas of that first soapstone remnant we find they can also be played as a melodic instrument or be used to add weka’s vocal colour to a song. By flicking the finger off the end hole while blowing, the cheeky call of the weka is produced. By manipulating the size of the end hole with your finger it also becomes a charming flute. To communicate with weka the dimensions may need to be changed to suit local conditions as trials show that weka have dialects which require different pitches of instruments in order to elicit a response. These communication calls have been likened to cell phone rings.

For this nguru I have adapted the traditional exterior shape to make it fit in with the series of karanga manu and weka. It does have the same interior shape and though nguru are generally smaller than koauau they have four functional wenewene or finger holes. This one is carved from maire which is a very special wood, treasured by Maori. Its hardness makes it very suitable for nguru and it is an ideal wood to use for depicting a kokako - we can see it’s a kokako because of the rounded tail and wattles.

Kokako or the blue-wattled crow is the world’s purest-noted songbird. This attribute was gained in mythological times after kokako did a favour for the demigod Maui, who granted him decorative wattles and told him the secret of song was to eat Raukatauri, the casemoth, goddess of flute music. Thus he became the first amplifier and lets us hear her beautiful song which other songbirds, like the tui and bellbird, also try to copy. Kokako’s song sometimes has organ-like phrases and is the most haunting and truly unforgettable sound when heard in the forest. Kokako are not good fliers and the South Island birds which have orange wattles are deemed to be virtually extinct.

Tui is one of our character birds, with a white tuft of throat feathers stark against the iridescent darkness of its plumage. When the kowhai trees and flax are in flower tui flock to sip their sweet nectar. They acrobatically reach up into the flowers for it, then dash off madly chasing each other in a game which often ends in song from the top of the tallest tree. Traditionally tui were taught to talk and feature in many legends having fooled strangers trying to identify the talker. For this reason they have been adopted as a symbol for the revival of the use of Maori language. This tui kaitiaki, or guardian, like these three birds has ‘hands’ shown as manaia faces to depict the gift of flight they have been given. It is carved from koiwi paraoa, (sperm whale bone)

Korimako the bellbird, is a beautiful singer and though not as large as tui has a more delicate sweet song. Though seldom heard nowadays, sometimes when a large group is assembled their dawn chorus sounds like a carillon of chiming bells. It has been speculated that this is initiated by the song of kokako as it is known that , like tui, when kokako sing they both mimic that song which stays in their repertoire for a week or so. When feeding on the honey in flax flowers their forehead becomes stained red with pollen. These three birds are part of a series I work on, the design is limited by being a circle with a circle cut out and having traditionally-styled manaia faces carved on their hands to show some special attribute.