Pekapeka

Pendant Style:

Pekapeka

Materials:

Reclaimed hardwood timber (species not known), wax & cordage

The Form:

Pekapeka

The pekapeka is a traditional Māori pendant form often associated with guardianship, communication, and the connection between the physical and spiritual realms. Its wing-like shape symbolizes movement between worlds and the ability to navigate both seen and unseen pathways.

The Twin Figures:

Ngā Kaitiaki o te Pō

The mirrored forms represent guardian spirits standing at the threshold between Te Ao Mārama and Te Pō. Their joined bodies symbolise balance, partnership, and the understanding that all journeys are made between opposing forces—light and darkness, knowledge and mystery, earth and sky.

The Eyes:

Ngā Kākano o te Māramatanga/Ngā Kōmata o te Wānanga

The red inlaid eyes represent the sacred embers of wisdom carried through generations. Though small, they are said to see beyond the horizon of ordinary sight, perceiving both ancestral memory and future possibility. The eyes represent the seeds of knowledge and foresight. They symbolize awareness, wisdom, and the ability to perceive opportunities hidden beyond the horizon.

More About This Piece:

The pekapeka is a rare and significant figure within Māori carving traditions. As a creature of the night and one of Aotearoa’s only native land mammals, it occupies a unique place between worlds—moving silently through darkness while remaining deeply connected to the land.

This pendant explores themes of transformation, hidden knowledge, and the journey of discovery. The paired forms remind us that wisdom is rarely found in isolation; it emerges through relationship, reflection, and the sharing of experience.

The pekapeka is among the oldest forms of Māori adornment and is often regarded as a protective taonga. Its distinctive shape has been linked to ancestral guardians, birds of the night, and the unique native bat of Aotearoa, the only land mammal indigenous to these islands.

This piece explores themes of transformation, adaptability, and renewal. Through the fusion of traditional Māori symbolism and contemporary interpretation, it speaks to the ongoing journey of rediscovering ancestral knowledge and carrying it forward into the future.

Stories of Origin

The pekapeka moves between realms—earth and sky, darkness and light, past and future—serving as a reminder that transformation is at the heart of all creation.

It is said that in the time when the boundaries between worlds were thin, a guardian spirit took the form of the pekapeka to travel unseen between the realms of gods and humankind. By night it gathered fragments of knowledge scattered throughout the world, carrying them beneath its wings.

When dawn approached, the guardian would return to the shadows, leaving behind only small traces of its passage—new ideas, inspired dreams, and moments of sudden understanding.

This pendant honours that ancient messenger. It carries the symbolism of seeking knowledge beyond what is immediately visible, trusting intuition, and embracing the courage required to navigate unfamiliar paths.

The pekapeka is also referred to as one of the sacred guardian birds found on the marae of Uetonga and it’s figure inspired the tiwhana tattoo pattern on Mataoras forehead⸻