The Koru represents the bringing forth of new life. It symbolizes energy, rebirth, replenishment and LIFE! The unfurling of the spiral speaks to new beginnings, suggesting the leaving behind of an old path and starting anew.

The twist with its crisscross form represents the many paths of life and love and as such is regarded as the original eternity symbol. The single twist in particular shows the joining together of two people for eternity as the triple twist represents the joining together of cultures. It tells how the strength of bond and friendship, loyalty and love will last forever. It has also been known to represent mind, body, and spirit.

Fish hooks are the most powerful symbol as it has historical elements that the Polynesians revere. The legends tell of Maui Tiki Tiki (the creator of the world) fishing the islands out of the ocean and breathing life into its inhabitants. Fish hooks represents strength, power, leadership and authority for this reason. It also symbolizes prosperity and abundance as it speaks to the main source of nourishment in the pacific- fish. As we all know, fishing requires a great deal of patience and luck, even for the skilled fisherman. Therefore, fishhooks also symbolizes good luck and safe travels.

The Manaia is an ancient mythical being with a birds head and a human form. It is said to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits illustrating the strong links the Maori people have with spirituality and the spirit world.
It is a holder of great spiritual energy and is a guardian against evil. The Manaia can be seen blended into many Maori designs with subtle differences between tribes.

The Tiki is a very ancient symbol and is by far the least understood so there are a number of legends about its meaning. Some say he came from the stars and that he was the first man of the world. He is also often depicted with webbed feet which suggests a strong link to the creatures of the sea. Tiki was respected as the teacher of all things and the wearer of this symbol is therefore seen to possess clarity of thought, loyalty, great inner knowledge and strength of character. The Tiki is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol.

The ocean has always been the dominant force for the Maori people who traveled huge distances in their long canoes and lived on the bounty of the tropical waters. They had a great respect for the creatures on the sea and in particular dolphins and whales.

The whale with its great size and obvious intelligence played an important part in the culture of the Maori people. They were often represented as an example of family love with mother and calf always side by side and touching at every opportunity. 

Beached whales were treasured as gifts from the gods. They were particularly prized for the bone which after several years of curing was used to carve ornate jewelry and art works, often passed down for many generations.

A dolphin is a symbol of playfulness, harmony and friendship as it spends much of its day playing and looking for food.

The turtle is a sacred creature amongst the Polynesian people. Because of its enduring qualities, the turtle represents navigation and speaks to one having a sense of purpose or direction. It also symbolizes longevity as it is one of the oldest species on the earth.  

Some of my other carvings include chopper blades, bone necklaces, sea horse carvings and sharks.