item details
NameFish
ProductionInia Taylor; maker/artist; 1987; New Zealand
1986 / 1988
1986 / 1988
Classificationjewellery, artifacts, carvings
Materialswhale bone (bone), pāua (abalone shell), ebony
Materials Summarywhalebone, paua shell, ebony
Techniquescarving
DimensionsOverall: 50mm (width), 60mm (length), 20mm (depth)
Registration Number1993-0038-44
Credit lineGift of the Friends of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 1993
Overview
Bone Stone Shell: Inia Taylor
Inia Taylor was the youngest Bone Stone Shell exhibitor, and the only Māori. From a family of carvers, he chose to work in bone - a material often associated with matau (fish hooks). But rather than exploring the fish-hook form, Taylor looked to the catch. His fish forms have big, glistening pāua-shell eyes and sharply carved fins.
Taylor has since become a respected practitioner of ta moko (tattooing) - a natural progression for an artist interested in carving and design.