Kawakawa Pounamu Hei Tiki - Charlie Wilson

Hei tiki represent the form of the first human, worn by Māori they are a prestigious gift. Hei tiki are a remembrance of Tupuna (ancestors) that guide us forward. Hei tiki can be seen as ornaments of honour and status. 

This beautiful Hei Tiki is carved from Kawakawa pounamu and features traditional red wax eyes. It is hung with an adjustable hand-plaited black waxed cord and measures 78 x 40 x 7 mm. It was hand-carved by Charlie Wilson. 

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 NZ artists to design a hei tiki for their Matariki stamp series. The following year, his design was chosen to adorn N.Z.'s most prestigious legal currency - the 1oz. gold coin.