New Zealand

Hidden away in this very turbulent landscape, is a giant, long-living tree ~ The Kauri. Let us introduce you to this tree of which many wonderful things were made. I say "were" because this tree was cut down almost to extinction.The  wood grain is so unusual that it was sought after by designers  to enhance and create a most unusual and unique impression for their upscale clientele. In Ken's "Tips & Tidbits" we'll show you some of the exquisite furnishings.

These beautiful creations enhanced hotels, restaurants and homes. Many have now been saved in the Kauri Museum at Matakohe, NZ. Some Kauri products may be purchased, but, these have been manufactured from "Swamp Kauri" i.e Kauri trees that fell down 10,000 to 42,000 years ago and became buried through cataclysmic actions. Gum Diggers of the early 19th Century located many of these ancients which are being used to this day for furniture and souvenir making.

In 2008 we visited with Shona Firman and Keith Mahy at their glass furnace on The Quay at Whangerrei, New Zealand and brought back with us some of Shona's cast-glass creations, as well Keith's blown glassware. We just had to back again in February 2009. Both Shona and Keith had created a wide array of art-glass pieces, some of which we now have on the web-store awaiting your purchase order.To view the pieces please be sure to visit our "Designer Collections" and look in each of  "Shona Firman" and "Keith Mahy".

 

  Tangaroa Bailer.

Shona's cast-glass creations are inspired by the South Sea islands, the people, their life, their myths ands spirits.

Keith's use of vibrant colours and exotic foliage mirrors the surrounding tropical land and sea tones from the foundry of its birth. You can see some of this work in a sample of Keith's blown glass creations below, set in front of the backdrop of Te Negre Beach, Matauri Bay., North Island.

A comical sight around the North Island is the Pukeko -

 

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Whilst not yet on our web-site, we do have some tableware creations with the Pukeko caricature hand-painted on them.