Kahu Art Pounamu greenstone carving and fine jewellery in this Gallery is only a small representative example of the designs that Peter Plumb is renown for creating.

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Each piece of artwork is individually designed with its own unique character, or Whakarei –the embellishment and decoration– which has meaning and significance that empowers the finished carving, the taonga. The carving then takes on its own life force, known as its Mauri.

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Pre-European Maori carving was an important way of telling stories and linking peoples history and carvers held a respected and valued position in tribal society. Certain rituals and customs had to be followed by those who performed those arts. Peter continues to respect those traditions and tikanga –the values and customs– of his Ngai Tahu Maori culture.

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Peter's carving is all done by hand, taking days and sometimes weeks or even months to complete each individual piece of Kahu Art Pounamu and he has personally sourced the greenstone (New Zealand Nephrite Jade) from the rivers and mountains of Tai Poutini, so he knows its origins as authentic genuine New Zealand Pounamu from the West Coast of the South Island.

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Because of the unique characteristics of each Pounamu jade boulder, no two stones are ever alike, and therefore neither will any carving or jewellery created by Kahu Art ever be identical with another. This means your piece of Kahu Art will always be uniquely yours.

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The cost varies for each individual carving based upon the intricacy of design, size and type of pounamu used, and length of time involved creating it. Once you have discussed your design with Peter, he will always provide you with an estimate of all the costs before proceeding with any work on your design and finished piece. Click here to learn more about having Peter custom design a pounamu carving that incorporates your own personal ancestral story.