This piece is one of a kind. The photograph of the piece is the piece you will receive.
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Hand-carved NZ Pounamu
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This tara pirohe depicts the endemic black-fronted tern of Aotearoa. Found mainly along the braided rivers of Te Waipounamu, these agile birds hunt insects and small fish, nesting on exposed shingle banks.
In Māori culture, tara pirohe are associated with beauty, grace and high status. The expression tāhuna ā-tara, a sandbank of terns, was used to honour a gathering of chiefs, drawing a connection between the birds’ presence and the mana of those gathered.
Today, tara pirohe are nationally endangered, threatened by introduced predators and habitat loss.
This piece ships after 6th Nov 2026. Exclusive to Mountain Jade, this one-off art piece forms part of the 2026 Ngā Tamariki-a-Tāne-Mahuta Collection, celebrating the beauty and character of Aotearoa’s native birds through pounamu and contemporary carving. This collection will be on display in our Rotorua store from Thursday 1st October. Pieces may be purchased throughout the exhibition period but only be shipped once the exhibition concludes on 6th November. Read more.
The artist behind this creationDaniel's journey into the world of pounamu carving is a personal mission to revive Toi Māori (Māori arts) within his family. Training under the watchful eyes of mentors Tamaora Walker and Akapita Scally, he is driven by the intricacies and precisions demanded of the art form, approaching each day in the studio as a chance to hone his skills. Drawing inspiration from whakairo rakau (wood carving) and tā moko (Māori tattoo), he aspires to carve complex designs into stone with the same mastery.
