FINE MODEL OF KIWI

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1933, Page 3

FINE MODEL OF KIWI

NAPIER CRAFTSMAN’S WORK. VIEWED BY GOVERNOR-GENERAL. When Their Excellencies, Lord and Lady Bledisloe, were in Napier, they paid a number of informal visits, as is their wont when visiting a town. On this particular occasion the GovernorGeneral, it would .appear, had a definite, mission, .since he had heard of a fine example of engraving fashioned by Mr. F. J. Bailey, and after walking a short distance along Dickens Street the Governor-General and his Lady entered Dalgety and Co.’s building, climbed the. stairs and found their way along the corridor to Mr. Bailey has his workshop. . ■ •. -• • '• • When the occupant' of the workshop realised the identity of his visitors he was delighted, for he knew of His Excellency’s achievements as.- a pastoralist and even more that Lord Bledisloe is a most ardent disciple of the aesthetic. When the distinguished visitors asked to see the kiwi about which they heard so much, Mr. Bailey lost no time in producing. it. His Excellency, and Lady, Bledisloe made a close inspection of the bird, noted the beautiful sheen of the highly .polished paua shells which formed the body, the finely moulded legs and head and the symmetry of the whole model. His Excellency, like many .others who have since examined it, pronounced’ the work to be exquisite, which it undoubtedly is, says the Hawke’s Bay Herald, and both he and Lady Bledisloe lingered for some minutes to view’ the' bird from all angles, noting the subtle craftmanship embodied in its- construction and 'appreciating' its beautiful lines. Just before departing, Lord and Lady Bledisloe purchased some articles which Mr. Bailey had engraved, leaving behind them a proud craftsman—proud as Cremona was of Stradivarius, proud as any true ’craftsman who meets with one whose culture gives authority to his opinions. - - -

The kiwi, inlaid with about 750 pieces of paua shell, stands about six or seven inches high, on a beautiful base of iminga tangiwai, which was brought from Milford Sound. In the centre front of the base are the symbols “Ao/te-a-roa,” while at the feet of the kiwi are the North and South Islands in silver, showing the principal towns, lakes and rivers of each. The beak and claws of the bird are moulded from nin^-carat gold, almost perfectly shaped. The designer was most . careful to see that in every way the bird should not offend the eye of any ornithologist who might examine it, and to that end he constantly made reference to standard works on New Zealand birds.

Between each tiny piece of paua shell are silver strips, flattened, turned and soldered, each segment filed and cemented to fit the contours of the shell. Altogether, about 20 ounces of silver were used. The eyes, always difficult to reproduce, are fashioned from mother-of-pearl.