Pepi Patu

Information

      Te Pēpi Patu – A Taonga for Carter
​Artist Statement
​I created Te Pēpi Patu as a sacred gift (taonga tuku iho) for Carter, my best friend's first grandchild. A patu is a traditional Māori short club—a symbol of strength, dignity, and protection. Reinterpreted here as a baby (pēpi) patu, this piece serves as a guardian gift to welcome Carter into the world, weaving together his heritage, his birthplace, and the ancestral stories that surround him.
​Materials & Whakapapa (Lineage)
​Western Australian Jarrah:
I carved the body and stand from rich Jarrah timber to anchor Carter to Western Australia, the land where he was born.
​Historic WWII Pounamu (Greenstone) Inlays:
Inlaid into the face of the patu are three raw pieces of Pounamu with deep history. The stone comes from a World War II adze (toki) originally gifted to my grandfather. As the fifth-generation guardian (kaitiaki) of this family taonga, I chose not to leave it sitting forgotten in a cupboard. Instead, I carefully shaped it into artwork for my loved ones—breathing fresh mauri (life force), purpose, and whakapapa into the stone so it can be carried forward through new generations.
​Engravings & Ancestral Patterns:
Using my xTool F1, I engraved a Pikorua (twist)—the symbol of an eternal bond between people and cultures—onto the wood. Intertwined within the twist are patterns honoring Carter’s blended Māori and Tongan heritage, passed down through his grandparents.
​The Inscription:
On the custom Jarrah stand, I laser-etched the words:
​Te Pēpi Patu
Te Taonga Tuku Iho, (An heirloom passed down)
Tuku Atu a te Kaitiaki (Given by the guardian)