Pikorua

The pikorua is drawn from the kareao vine — the supplejack — whose stems twist around one another as they grow through the bush. The two strands rise together, separate briefly, and meet again, over and over, with no beginning and no end.

It represents the eternal bond between two lives. The path may twist and turn, the strands may seem to part at moments, but they are always returning to one another. Nothing is lost in the turning.

A single twist speaks of a journey shared — a partnership, a friendship, a deep bond between two people. It is the most common form, and the one most often gifted at marriage or to mark a friendship that has stood the test of time.

A double twist speaks of two lives more fully entwined — often two families joined by marriage, or a partnership across cultures. A triple twist speaks of past, present and future, or of three people bound together — sometimes a parent and two children, or three close friends.

The pikorua is the traditional gift to mark a partnership: a marriage, an engagement, the joining of two whānau (families), the sealing of a long friendship. It is also given to mark cultural bonds — between a visitor and a host, between a person and the land that has taken them in.

Look for a piece where the strands feel evenly weighted and the curves flow into one another without interruption. The eye should be able to travel the full loop without ever finding an end — that is the heart of its meaning.

Hold it in the hand and turn it slowly. A well-carved pikorua feels continuous; a poorly carved one feels like two pieces that happen to be touching.