Gus Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 hi all this one has been in the works for a while now just got it finished to day and thought i would share with u all i have been working on it for about 4 months on and off the sculpture is to represent the new zealand fern.Maori made use of the ponga by cutting the fronds for sleeping on. In addition the fronds were also used as route markers in times of war. Making a track through the bush at night, Maori warriors would lay the silver fern fronds white side up, tips pointing in the direction of travel. The track could be seen at night by the apparent glow of the white frond contrasted against the dark background; enabling an attack of the enemy at first light (Fisher, 1985). In general Maori used silver ferns for the construction of food storage houses. The thick walls were effective at preventing the rats getting in. Trunks also formed the walls of cooking sheds and lined storage pits for kumara. In addition the silver ferns were used as a food source. As well as the pith being a good source of starch,the young fronds were also eaten the new zealand fern was also a big influence in maori art culture carvings and moko.the base and large fern frond at the back are made of buffalo horn large frond is inlay-ed with cattle bone the smaller frond is cattle bone carved with a koru .Koru, represents the fern frond as it opens bringing new life and purity to the world. It also represents peace, tranquility and spirituality along with a strong sense of re growth or new beginnings. The Koru is also often associated with nurturing so when interlocked with others is frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family. any feed back from members on the peace would be grate thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonecarver Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Beautiful design Gus! And thank you for the lore behind it, I feel history adds another level to a carving. What is the scale of the piece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 thanks man 3 inch wide 6 inch high 2 and a half inches deep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie K Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Gus: Very nice design and very well executed. I, too, appreciate the story. Maori art is something I am not very familar with, so it is helpful to be told the significance of the objects. Funny, I thought that this was a much larger piece upon viewing it. It has a monumental feel and I was surprised that it was so small. Debbie K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well done Gus, Nice harmony, nice design I like the inlay in the buffalo part, by the way is it water buffalo horn? Also the tatooing on the bone is really fine art work. Thank's for sharing Take care. Christophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted April 2, 2011 Report Share Posted April 2, 2011 Nice work Gus. Lovely korero too. Kia ora, Billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 thank u all for your kind words i have some other peaces in the pipe line cant wait to show u all it is grate to get feed back from so many great artists thanks again gus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maha Posted April 3, 2011 Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Kia ora bro Interesting piece alot of bone carvings Ive seen are pendants is there any particular reason wuy you did a sculpture? I see you have done alot of background research are you part Maori? what tools did you use to carve this. cheers Maha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Posted April 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2011 Kia ora maha yes my family is half maori and half Scottish our maori tribe is ngati kuri i was born Scottish but have a deep respect and interest in maori history culture and art. i do quite a lot of pendants if u check out some of my other posts u can see some. for this peace i just felt like trying something a bit bigger in scale something i could work on over a few months.tools i use are eny thing from a grinder to a dremel with micro bits chisels files jewelers saw and a hole lot of sand paper. regards gus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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