Hononga - Connected

Dear friend, Kia Ora

This taonga is a mix of bone, brass and pounamu. The pounamu comes from the Arahura river near Hokatika on the West Coast. It is a beautiful stone.

The taonga is named Hononga which means connected.

The bone on top contains an ever-expanding koru. Reminiscent of ripples on a pond. This has several layers of meaning. In general, the koru represents the unfolding of new life, new beginnings and growth. The expanding ripples symbolise the multiplied affects a small action can have upon ourselves and the world around us.

The bottom half of this taonga is pounamu. This represents strength, stability and being grounded. With a solid foundation, many great things may be constructed upon this.

In between the bone and pounamu is an inlay of brass. Brass is conductive. As such, this represents the flow of energy from above to below and visa versa. Whilst many analogies can be drawn from this, in this case it is symbolic of the veil between the physical and spiritual dimensions of our life.