Totoweka Pounamu Toki

Totoweka Pounamu Toki

Pounamu that has red streaks or spots is called Totoweka.  Totoweka means Weka (NZ Native bird) blood.  Its a uncommon type of Pounamu.   This stone has lots going on from a nice translucent apple green to black, gold and red coloured inclusions.

I think Toki or Adze/Axe/Chisel shapes would have been the first forms carved in all stone based cultures around the world.  Large ones would have been used for cutting down trees and shaping canoes and finer ones for wood carving with a lot of different sizes and shapes in between for a multitude of different jobs.