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How bone carving came to be what it is todayThe History of Bone in New Zealand Hand Carved Jewelry In pre-European times there where no cattle or other large land animals in New Zealand other than a large (now extinct) flightless bird called the Moa which stood up to 3mtrs (10 feet) tall. Some items where carved from its bone but it was really too light and porous. There where therefore only two types of bone available for the larger carvings. Most large bone carvings were made from whale bone which has to be cured for several years before it can be used. Some was also made from human bone. To eat an enemy and/or use their bone in this fashion was regarded as a sign of respect for the slain warrior, as by doing so you took on some of their spirit and strength. Smaller pieces such as needles, tattooing knives and spear tips were made from the bones of large birds such as the Albatross and Moa. The standard pieces on our site are all carved from cow bone, which is now the only readily available source of bone suitable for carving. Some special carvings are made from Deer antler. The bone has to be very fine grained, very dense and also thick enough to make the larger pieces. It is the high density and fine grain of the bone that gives it the ability to hold such a high gloss polish. We do not use whale bone at all as it is a protected species. The Maori treated bone carving as a sacred artform, not only for its beauty and feel but also the fact that the pieces where seen to contain part of the spirit of the great whale or defeated warrior and everyone who wore them over the generations to follow. Many took several years to make with stone and wood tools and became a center of family activity in this time. Polishing was done with sand and fibre from native plants. Believe it or not, the Maori also carved jade in the same way with one piece sometimes taking the whole lifetime of an artist.
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