#extinction art

original by @fruitorchardsystem and inspired by many others :)

On the left, huia earrings that I made for mum after she saw the simple huias I made (right). My plan is to sell them singly as I reckon they'd look cool as one dangly with a sleeper or stud in the other side or mismatched, or people could buy a same sex pair instead of mixed without any hassle.

The huia was a wattlebird endemic to Aotearoa, much prized by Māori who would lure the bird by mimicking its alarm call. They would also trap one bird and let it call it's mate to trap them both. Their tail feathers, black with white tips, were highly prized taonga, worn in the hair of a cheif and their close whānau.