Te Kōkako is whanau to the saddleback and Huia. A beautiful songbird that has sadly declined in numbers.

By Tania Tupu Jewellery
Named after their beautiful song, Kōkako is considered sacred by many Māori.
In Māori myth, the kōkako filled its wattles with water and brought it to Maui as he fought the sun. Maui rewarded the bird by making its legs long and slender, enabling it to bound through the forest with ease.
Te Kōkako is wearing a kakahu ribbonwood flora laced with a taniko border.

Tania Tupu, Ngāti Porou, is a jewellery designer and maker of contemporary Māori and Pacific-inspired adornment based in Titahi Bay, Porirua. A talented businesswoman, Tania has also operated retail stores in Raglan and Nelson, worked for The Great War Exhibition and is currently the General Manager of Te Papa Stores at New Zealand's National Museum.

Available online and in-store at Wellington Museum and Cable Car Museum. Explore our collection of jewellery, taonga, souvenirs, science-themed gifts and more from across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kokako Ribbonwood Necklace