Captain Cook's MereMere Kapene Kuku
Medium: Carrara marble
Dimensions: 365 mm x 100 mm x 34 mm.
Year: 2012
For sale
On the front of this Mere a relief carving of New Zealand representing Captain Cook's circumnavigation of New Zealand. On the reverse is a small black circle superimposed on a much larger but partial disc. This represents the transit of Venus, the official reason why Cook and the Endeavor ventured into the South Pacific was to map the transit in 1769.
Usually mere are carved from pounamu and are called patu if another stone, wood or bone are used. In this piece marble was used to reflect Cook's European heritage and I have called it a mere to indicate his mana as a leader and a respected navigator. A blue wrist cord was added representing the sea and naval colours.
This mere was completed within a week of the 2012 transit of Venus, some 243 years after Cook's historical venture.