Tuutanga Necklace

The beautiful Tuutanga necklace is constructed by renowned Aotearoa jeweller Justin Ferguson. 
The Tūtanga (segmented) necklace is a modern take on a timeless classic. 
Hand peened alternated sterling silver and brass tubing, spaced with brass beads.
The lengths of tubing are hand peened and cut to length in the work shop.
The peening allows the tubing to refract light and showcases the metallic properties at play.
Finished off with a sterling silver latch.

Dimensions 49cm long

"After many years on the slow move we are settled on the beautiful Otago Peninsula in Ōtepoti/Dunedin. I was raised on a farm near the small country town of Patumahoe before moving to the North Shore of Auckland City at the age of five where I spent the remainder of my childhood. I was strongly interested in the arts from a young age and was particularly fascinated by Māori Taonga, greenstone and bone carving and the way they were bound and fastened. After relocating to the beautiful Golden Bay in my early twenties I began training in many crafts including bone carving with the legendary Chris Bone. After many years of bone and wood carving I transitioned into working with silver but brought with me my braided cord style that compliments my rough beaten ancient looking silver work.

I have been an active and well known jeweller in the high end contemporary craft scene in New Zealand for over a decade. My work is all hand made with very low-tech tools and unlike a lot of "hand made" jewellery my work involves no factory castings.
As my pieces are chunky and roughly forged using hammers I tend toward pure silver with it's easy workability and the fact that it does not tarnish, combined with a surface peening to add a little sparkle to your life.
All my chains, ear hooks and the thinner earrings are Sterling silver for strength. I use a very durable black polyester cord for long life, which I then hand braid."

Justin Ferguson

This item is handmade in Aotearoa New Zealand