Finely Carved Tokotoko by Jacob Heberley

Jacob William Heberley (1849-1906) Te Ati AWA Wellington, a finely carved tokotoko (traditionally carved walking stick), with four figures, each surmounting the other. The lower figure with naturalistic face with ta-moko. The two middle figures carved with wheku heads with three fingered hands placed to the abdomen. The top figure with naturally rendered face and with conforming hand positioning, with his three fingered hands placed on his abdomen. His head conjoined with a manaia. The body of the manaia forms the tokotoko handle. The figures all with inset cut paua shell eyes and decorated with triple haehae and pakati (dog tooth) notching. The lower section of the tokotoko with fine rauponga carved detail, Jacob Heberley grew up in Queen Charlotte sound and then moved to Wellington where he began his carving career. Although his work has similarities with the ngati tarawhai carvers of Te Arawa his style is distinctively his own. He had a number of important patrons from the Wellington region including Lord and lady Ranfurly, Richard Seddon, Alexander Turnbull and Walter Buller. His work is held in the collection of the National Museum:Te papa Tongarewa, the Auckland war Memorial Museum as well as in many provincial Museum collections. Similar tokotoko to this example are held in the Auckland Museum collection and in the Nelson provincial Museum collection, 93 cm length