Ko ngā taonga i mauria mai e ngā kaiheke tōmua i Hawaiki he tautau, he tāhei me ētahi kahurangi. He maha ngā rautau ka mau haere tonu ngā taonga nei i te Māori, ka mutu, kei ngā wāhi whaipara o ngā tūpuna Māori e kitea ana ngā momo taonga o tērā wā e ōrite ana ki ērā nō te takiwā o Poronīhia ki te Rāwhiti. Nō te whanaketanga o te wairua auaha, ka hua ake ētahi atu auaha kahurangi, tae rawa ake ki ērā i mahia mai te pounamu.
Ngā takatakai me ngā tautau
Ko te tokomaha o ngā kōhatu whakairo tōmua o te Māori he takatakai he tautau hoki. He rite tonu te auahai te takatakai i te tangiwai. E kitea nuitia ana tēnei kōhatu parauri, kākāriki hoki ki te rohe o Whakatū. He ngāwari tēnei kōhatu ki te whakairo. I whakamaua anō ngā takatakai ki te kakī, ā, kei ngā wāhi whaipara tōmua ki ngā motu e rua e huraina ana ēnei taonga. He wā anō, kei te taha o ngā tūpāpaku ētahi e kitea ana.
I auahatia anō i te tangiwai ngā tautau ōrite ki te rei tohorā, me ētahi atu taonga whakanikoniko. Tērā tētahi tautau rei tohorā nō Murihiku, neke atu i te 20 henemita te roa, me te 2 koma mano te taumaha. Heoi, ko te nuinga o ēnei momo taonga he iti te hanga, ā, whakamaua ai ki te kakī. Arā anō ngā whakakai hanga kōnae i mau ki te uma. Ruarua ngā taonga pēnei, ā, kitea anake ki Te Wai Pounamu. Kua whakairotia he kāniwha ki ētahi. Kei runga i tētahi e mau ana te whakairo o ngā ika e rua.
Pounamu
Nō muri mai ka whakairotia ngā taonga pounamu, tērā pea nō muri i te tau 1500. Ko ngā taonga whai hiranga i tērā wā ā tae rawa ki te wā o te Pākehā, ko te hei tiki me te pōhoi taringa. Ka auahatia anō ngā toki pounamu iti me ngā whao hei tautau mā te wero i te kōhao ki tētahi taha kia uru atu ai he taura.
Tawhiti ake i te kōhatu whiua
He whānui te tauhokohoko i te matā o Tūhua. Tata tonu i te katoa o ngā wāhi whaipara tangata ki Aotearoa, ki Rangitāhua me Wharekauri kua kapia e ngā kōhatu nei. I hokohokona anō te pounamu o Te Tai Poutini puta noa i Te Ika-a-Māui me Te Wai Pounamu.
I ngā rau tau 1600 me 1700 ka kaha whakairotia e te Māori te patu mai i te kōhatu. Ko te ōnewa me te tāhoata me te pounamu (mere pounamu) mō te hanga patu. Ko te āhua a nei whakamahia nuitia ēnei taonga ki te raki, ā, koinei ngā tūmomo taonga i huraina ki te pā o Ōruarangi kei te mānia o Hauraki. Tērā pea ko te patu mō te patu kekeno, patu moa ki Te Wai Pounamu pea te patu mō te patu kēkeno, moa hoki.
Te tapahi pounamu
Ka hangaia ngā whakairo pounamu mā te tapahi me te orooro i te kōhatu. Ko ngā mira hei tapahi i te papa pounamu he hōanga, he ōnewa, he kōhatu schist rānei. Mā te kani ka haea ngā awaawa hōhonu e rua ki ia taha o te toka, kātahi ka whatiia. Ko te kiripaka hei auaha i te kōhatu.
