Bone jewelry is popular in New Zealand; the Maori people excel in bone carving.
Being hard, durable and simple to work with, it was a natural choice for jewelry making. Moa bone, seal ivory and human bone were the main sources.
Over a period of time, bone carvings absorb oils from
your skin and change colour to light honey gold.
The
Maori believe this to be the carving taking on some
of your spirituality or essence, thus truly becoming
a part of the wearer.
Modern artists take their inspiration not only from Maori mythology but also from the many other cultures.
Basically, they illustrate deep respect for the natural and spiritual worlds. |