Post #273350 by Tamapoutini on Mon, Dec 18, 2006 12:03 PM

I read these pendants were originally made from old ads heads made of green stone. Instead of just discarding the used ads head the Maori people would make a pendant out of it.

Function before fashion.

Hey Alien: I was just having another flip back in time & caught this...

It is true that many hundreds (pos 1000's?) of pounamu/greenstone/jade adzeheads were refashioned into hei-tiki, although this came into favour more as the 'tourist' demand increased with European visiters/settlers. The steel tools they bought with them made the older stone impliments obsolete. Before this, broken/chipped tools were more often reground/repaired for use.

Tis true that very little jade went to waste & offcuts & broken pieces were often refasioned into smaller 'detailing' chisels or jewellery. The jade really only comes from a few small pockets of the Sth Island but was traded the length of the country.

Facinating stuff eh? Dont get me started... :lol:

Tama

***Just been to your website too. Very interesting bio & background. I dig your humour & some of the more outrageous subject matter/composition...

The truth IS out there! :lol: TTT

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2006-12-18 12:09 ]