Toki & Matau | kiwistone

'Toki' is the Maori term for 'adze' or 'chisel'. Maori didn't have steel until the arrival of the Europeans and so they used stone tools. They shaped many items in jade and one of the most valuable was the toki because it was able to be sharpened to a fine edge and would hold this edge for some time before needing 'sharpening'. Toki were also made in other stones but these didn't have to same hard, steel-like properties of nephrite 'pounamu'. The toki came in a range of sizes and had many applications from wood carving to gardening. Over time their design became a popular form of adornment.

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TOKI

MATAU

'Matau' is the Maori word for 'hook' and without the benefit of steel Maori made their fish-hooks from stone, shell and wood. Over time the fish-hooks became more decorative than utilitarian and with this came modifications in design and form. Nowadays 'matau' can be rather more conceptual than practical!

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