The Bone Art Place is dedicated to the art of hand crafted New Zealand bone carving, jade carving and pearl shell carving in its many forms, from the very traditional Maori carving styles to the more contemporary designs for gifts and jewelry. Some are set into sterling silver mounts, some are in the form of delicate earrings and others are unique gifts such as key rings, framed artworks or free standing sculptures.

This is just a small sample of the items available at The Bone Art Place, to visit their website click here.

Every carving has a very special meaning or story behind its design. The ocean has always been the dominant force for the Maori people who traveled huge distances in their long canoes and lived on the bounty of the tropical waters. They had a great respect for the creatures on the sea and in particular dolphins and whales.

The whale with its great size and obvious intelligence played an important part in the culture of the Maori people. They were often represented as an example of family love with mother and calf always side by side and touching at every opportunity. Beached whales were treasured as gifts from the gods. They were particularly prized for the bone which after several years of curing was used to carve ornate jewelry and art works, often passed down for many generations.