Maori New Zealand Tribal Wooden Carved Feather Box Jack Rangi Redman Signed

15"L x 4"W. This intricately hand-carved box came from a high-end estate sale. This person had a collection of the Maori carvings. They were all by this same artist. We are listing an axe separately.

This box is in wonderful. Condition with no damage or repairs. Even the bottom is carved (please see last photo). Please view photos with enlargement feature in order to see details close-up.

Some information I found on the web regarding this artist is as follows. (This was a report done by Scott Yeoman an AUT journalism student). The smell of freshly cut wood lets you know you have entered the hallowed workshop of 89-year-old Jack Redman. It is a peaceful setting - complete with an old radio which is coated in a fine dust and humming along to the national service.

As for the elderly man crouched over in his chair, fixedly working on his next masterpiece, you immediately get the feeling that you are about to meet a national treasure. But the Howick resident doesn't think so. Before starting, he simply exclaims: It's a longish bloody story, you know! A long story it turned out to be, but an incredible one no less, and one in which Jack Rangi' Redman becomes a well-known and widely respected woodcarver. Since 1950 he has been producing Maori wood carvings that have been used as gifts by several of New Zealand's prime ministers and have become a common feature in galleries and shops around New Zealand and worldwide.

The one doing the talking was a Gallipoli veteran named Alex Stewart who taught Mr Redman to wood carve as a child. When I was about 10 or 11, my father, who was a Gallipoli veteran, went to a reunion in Auckland and he met up with one of his old cobbers.

He had lost his leg at Gallipoli and Pop helped to carry him down. He hadn't seen him since. Well, he was doing this [woodcarving].

He was a wonderful bloke - bloody marvellous to me. Mr Stewart mentored Mr Redman into the industry, and soon he was making his own mark.

A defining moment was when the government asked Mr Redman to make 51 Maori walking sticks for the heads of state that were visiting New Zealand in 1995 for CHOGM conference (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting). During Mr Redman's long and successful career, he has seen his work given to significant international figures like Nelson Mandela and Russian President Boris Yeltsin, along with famous authors such as Wilbur Smith. His work was also showcased at Auckland Airport for 10 years.

Although he retired 20 years ago, he still spends every afternoon in his workshop, perfecting his lifetime hobby. I feel I'm so lucky, to have got to this age reasonably fit. I believe I'm doing better work now than I ever did and I believe it's because there's no hurry. Earlier, sure, I tried to get it as good as I could, but there was always a time constraint.

Mr Redman says that more than anything, he feels fortunate to have been able to do what he loves for so long. Do you know, I would sooner be here, doing this, than anything else I can think of? I tell you, it's the greatest thing in life, it really is, to enjoy your work. His workshop tells a thousand stories, and the hours he has spent in there have given it character. Wood shavings and a soft dust have long since settled on his work bench and surrounding array of tools.

Along the windowsill a rusted desk fan sits next to small wooden animals, whittled expertly from spare off-cuts. Two half-empty boxes of sticking plasters lie scattered - yet within easy reach.

He says it is his escape. I think there's something about having your own space.

I can come out here and I feel more settled and content. This is my space and I look around and all this stuff is mine - I've worked for it, saved for it, bought it. Mr Redman joined the Navy at 17, at the start of World War II.

He fought and served around the world, from minesweepers in the Pacific and Indian oceans, to assault ships in the North Atlantic and Far East. Please be sure to ask questions BEFORE purchasing!

The item "Maori New Zealand Tribal Wooden Carved Feather Box Jack Rangi Redman Signed" is in sale since Tuesday, October 26, 2021. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Cultures & Ethnicities\Pacific Islands". The seller is "ourplace-okc" and is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.

Handmade: Yes
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: New Zealand
Culture: Pacific Islands
Provenance: Ownership History Not Available