Following on with the Matariki theme I decided to do a post on the heitiki, an ornamental pendant of the Māori people of New Zealand which is worn around the neck.
1935 Pictorials.
Wahine (young Maori girl) - 3d
The 1935 Pictorial Issue featured a young Maori girl on the 3d value. What is of interest to us is what she is wearing. The head-band is made of plaited flax, dyed red and black. The feather is that of the huia, a native bird now known to be extinct. Held by a flax cord fastened around her neck is the Maori amulet known as a "tiki". Today it is more commonly known by the correct name of "Heitiki." This is not particularly a good view since she is side on but its been included here as the first example found on a New Zealand Postage Stamp.
1958 Hawkes Bay Centennial.
2d Pania Statue.
In recognition of the part played by Maoris in the development of the country the 1958 Hawkes Bay Centennial issue depicted this view of the famous statue. She is wearing a Heitiki around her neck.
I960/67 Pictorial Issue.
The Three Brothers.
1960 1'6 - Tiki 1967 15c - Tiki
1960, 1/6. - Vertical Doctor Blade Flaws in the Green. - 1976, 15c.
1967 15c - Green Colour Shift.
1968 15c - Tiki Colour Change
Next we come to the three brothers. On the left at the top elder brother comes from the 1960 Pictorial Issue while on the right the middle brother comes from the 1967 Decimal Currency Issue. Both stamps depict the same greenstone heitiki with just the background colour and value being changed. In the second row are two printing errors from the 1967 issue. At the bottom is the youngest brother from the 1968 colour change.
It appears that a doctor blade flaw in the olive green ran right down the side of
the sheet. On the left we see the top-right corner and on the right we see the
bottom-right corner.
2008 Matariki
$2.00 Takoha - The Gift.
The word ‘takoha’ refers to a pledge or token, usually in the form of a gift. In this case it is a heitiki neck pendant being past from a man to a woman. This stamp comes from one of the sets on my Matariki Page.
2008 A to Z of New Zealand.
This issue of 26 stamp explored many subjects in an A to Z of New Zealand culture, history and kiwiana. Each stamp represented a different letter of the alphabet. View this issue in my post 2008 A to Z of New Zealand.
Notice how the incorrect shortened version of the name is used on this stamp while below in the 2009 set one year later the correct version is used.
2009 Matariki - Heitiki
This issue one of the sets on my Matariki Page.
50c – Heitiki
In the 1980s the ‘Te Maori’ exhibition, of traditional Maori artefacts went on
display in galleries in New York, St Louis, San Francisco and Chicago, before
returning to tour galleries in New Zealand. 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the
Te Maori exhibition opening. The heitiki shown on the 50c stamp toured with
this exhibition.
$1.00 – Heitiki
The heitiki on the $1.00 stamp was carved by Raponi, a renowned Maori artist.
New Zealand Post commissioned Raponi to produce this contemporary piece.
$1.50 – Heitiki
Maori artist Rangi Kipa was commissioned by New Zealand Post to produce this
piece for the stamp issue using corian –
a manmade material commonly used for kitchen worktops and bathroom vanities.
$1.80 – Heitiki
Each heitiki is a work of art – carefully, lovingly designed, created and
carved by Maori artists for generation after generation. Some, like this female
heitiki – made from a kahurangi (pale) variety of pounamu (greenstone) – are
now safely in the care of museums, often put on display as beautiful emblems of
the Maori people and their home, New Zealand.
$2.00 – Heitiki
This is the oldest of the heitiki shown here and fine example of the remarkably intricate carving
that goes into producing these miniature masterpieces. More than 160 years old, she’s
now held by the New Zealand government, and is part of the collections of The
Museum of New Zealand – Te Papa Tongarewa.
$2.30 – Heitiki
Heitiki have been made from a wide variety of materials, from pounamu and
whalebone (paraoa) to cow bone, granite, wood and various plastic materials.
Pounamu and paraoa remain the most prestigious – rare, precious and uniquely
suited to carving. This 1991 paraoa heitiki (carved by Rangi Hetet) made its
first appearance in the 2008 Matariki issue on the $2.00 stamp shown above.
2010 Shanghai World Expo.
$2.80 – Heitiki and Cong.
A joint venture set between China and New Zealand for the Shanghai World Expo.
2012 Personalised Stamps 70c Heitiki
70c - The Heitiki.
This design appeared a number of times in the personalised stamp issues.
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
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