Inspired by the Tiki who came down from the stars to create the first woman so I put wings on him so he can land safely. A design that has been around since I first starting designing way back-back.
- Wear with pride NZ icon earring size of 18mm (W) x 12mm (H)
- Wearable handcrafted 3-dimensional NZ artwork on sterling silver hooks.
- Available in fire red or olive green.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/7011638/Mystery-of-the-classic-tiki
"The generic meaning is good luck and keeping bad spirits away. In the early days, Maori women wore tiki to help with fertility and ward off evil spirits when pregnant."
Tupu first put the hand-drawn design onto a T-shirt in 2004, before casting it in resin to make a brooch that can also be worn as a pendant, and necklaces.
They're constant sellers for Tupu who credits the resurgence of the tiki, in part, to the fact that Maori and Pakeha are proud of their heritage and travelling a lot more overseas. It's a connection back to New Zealand. "People are wearing the tiki and wearing it proudly," she says. "Tiki is one of those icons that link us to New Zealand and Polynesia. New Zealanders know enough about the tiki now and are confident wearing one."
