Aotearoa

(2011), 3" x 2.5", silver clay (shaped, carved, fired, enameled, burnished), vitreous enamel, silver wire, gray coin pearl beads, gray flake pearl beads, silver beads, silver finding, fireline.

Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand (originally only the North Island) meaning "The Long White Cloud", which was the first signal for the Polynesian ocean travelers that they had reached land.

The pale sky-blue enamel and soft cloudy light of the pearl shapes that accompany the traditional Maori shield design seemed a perfect embodiment of that name. This was one of the designs that was squarely inspired by its necklace beads. As soon as I saw the string of little pearl flakes all piled on top of each other the rest of the pendant was very easy to imagine.