Te Hei Tiki

* For all those interested in these remarkable and iconic taonga. * There has not been a book on hei tiki since the late 1950s although there have been books on pounamu (New Zealand jade or greenstone). * The author is the acknowledged New Zealand expert on hei tiki. * The ideal gift. * Steeped in scholarship but very accessible in tone. * Handsomely designed. * Richly illustrated.

Of all Maori personal adornments, the human figure pendants known as hei tiki are the most famous, highly prized and culturally iconic. This book examines and celebrates the long history of hei tiki and the enduring cultural potency of these taonga or cultural treasures.An expert guide to the history and the role of hei tiki, a beloved and much prized Maori artform. Of all Maori personal adornments, the human figure pendants known as hei tiki are the most famous, highly prized and culturally iconic. This book examines and celebrates the long history of hei tiki and the enduring cultural potency of these taonga or cultural treasures. This first book on hei tiki for 60 years is written by the Acting Senior Curator Matauranga Maori at Te Papa, who is a hei tiki expert, and includes a large selection of hei tiki, most from the taonga Maori collections of Te Papa, which is the largest in New Zealand and very likely the world. Many are published here for the first time, including some with exalted histories of ownership. It also covers the work of leading contemporary hei tiki makers.