Taonga Taniwha Tepu
~ Treasure Dragon Table
Taonga Taniwha Tepu
2012 Year of the Dragon
This one of a kind hand carved table is made from the finest ancient Kauri timber. Crafted from gold infused ancient swamp Kauri recovered from peat swamps deep in the New Zealand rain forest, the timber once grew on top of a rich, fertile volcanic landscape absorbing precious minerals over thousands of years.
A double-sided, free-floating tabletop and carved base, inlaid with a variety of naturally occurring treasures and hidden details exhibiting the beauty of Aotearoa.
Finished in linseed oil and epoxy resin providing the perfect mixture of natural fleshy surfaces and hard protected edges.
Featured on TVNZ 1NewsNow, 23rd May 2017
This ancient swamp kauri table is actually a treasure map to a beautiful place 'not visited by many'
Kia Ora,
In my mid-twenties as kind of a coming of age experience, I went into the wild to live off land. The place I went to is a rain forest located in Hauraki, New Zealand. It is a place special to my Iwi: Ngati Maru (My Maori Tribe). During my time in the rain forest I did a lot of exploring both of my spirit and the natural world around us. It was through these experiences that Papatuanuku instilled in me the drive to create a great Taniwha and the abilities to do so.
Over a year of meticulously crafting this unique and special piece, embedded within its details is an encoded map. Created for the adventurous at heart a secret still lays undiscovered. You must have a keen eye, a curious mind and an adventurous spirit, here I give you an intrepid journey that will take you on a journey of your own, deep into the wild, far away to a sacred place visited by few before us. For the one that gives my beloved creation a new home, I aim to give you something beyond a simple object, something that enriches your soul and inspires your spirit.
I look forward to meeting you one day.
Nga Mihi
Joe