Hei Tiki Kawakawa - Charlie Wilson

Hei tiki represent the form of the first human. When worn, they provide a connection to the tūpuna (ancestors) that brought us into this world and guide us forward. Traditionally worn by Māori as ornaments of honour and status, they are a prestigious gift to be handed down as taonga through the generations. 

This beautiful hei tiki was hand-carved by the Charlie Wilson from kawakawa pounamu and features traditional red wax eyes. It measures 78 x 40 x 7 mm. and has an adjustable hand-plaited black cord.

Charles Raponi Wilson began his carving journey in the 1960s and is renowned for his expert crafting of hei tiki, influenced by ancestral taonga. In 2009, New Zealand Post collaborated with him and other prominent Māori artists to design a hei tiki for their Matariki stamp series. The following year, his design was chosen to adorn Aotearoa New Zealand's most prestigious legal currency - the 1oz. gold coin.