The sculpture is painted freehand in the traditional Chinese claborate style which originated during the Song Dynasty 960-1279.
There are nine peony flowers/buds and nine insects painted on the sculpture. Number nine in Chinese culture means longevity. These nine flowers and nine insects mean that with humans’ good care and protection, the kiwi will live a long long time.
The green grassy background colour forms a Māori koru pattern. There are two meanings of the koru pattern for the sculpture. The first meaning is “Harmony and Balance”, which means that the sculpture brings the wishes of the harmonious and balanced coexistence between man and nature. The second meaning is “Spirituality and Connection to Ancestors”, which means that the traditional painting style for this sculpture was passed down from my ancestors. (I like Maori culture and the meaning behind each symbol. They are beautiful!)
There is a little ladybird on the pointy end of the beak, representing that kiwi are the only bird species that have nostrils on the pointy end of their beaks. The black characters “甲辰龍年” is the Chinese Lunar Dragon Year. The red seal script of “靜” in a red square is my name and signature.
