About Us
Carving a craft renaissance
Considering the range and supply of beautiful handcrafted work in the Cook Islands today, it is astounding that many of these traditional crafts, especially the cravings, nearly died out. The missionaries played a big role in the demise of traditional carvings that often depicted pre-Christian gods. For a period of around 200 years there were no carvings made of these gods. No Cook Islands tikis were carved for at least 100 years.
In the past 60 years, Island Craft Ltd and the Melvin Family have played a huge role in the renaissance of these traditional crafts. Their business, Island Craft Ltd, was established in 1943 and since then has grown from a small souvenir shop to the multi-faceted family business that it is today.
Ron Powell was instrumental in reviving the carving of traditional artefacts and established the family`s interest in pearls. Island Craft has an in-house pearl shell carver as well as an in-house jeweller.
Making and engraving custom-made trophies for the sports-mad Cook Islanders is also a growing niche.
Of course you don't have to buy only from their retail outlets. Island Craft products can also be purchased via email or their website which features a wide range of their work.
back to top Island Craft floral services
Marie Melvin`s love of gardening and knowledge of plants has inspired the establishment of the Island raft Garden Centre. Vibrant flower arrangements are always a part of celebrations in the Cooks and the garden centre does arrangements for many of these events.
Island Craft has serviced the Cook Islands with a floral service for the last 30 years and are agents for Teleflora and Interflora International.
If you are staying on the island, ask reception for assistance or call directly 22009 to arrange flowers for your room, wedding flowers or to organise overseas orders for loved ones.
Carving Te Rongo
Island Craft's resident carver Tane measures a piece of tamanu (local mahogany) for a new carving.
Carving a Rongo, shown here in its different stages of development, takes Tane about two days.
Te Rongo is a Mangaian god whose three sons were the ancestors of the Ngariki tribe of Mangaia: Rangi, Mokoiro and Akatauira. Rongo is always depicted with his sons on his chest.
The first Te Rongo carved in modern times was made from a plaster cast, Don Melvin (the late father of Island Craft director Fletcher Melvin) brought back to the Cooks from an original carving that is in the British Museum of Mankind in London.
The Pacific mahogany used for carving is grown mainly in the outer islands now with most of Rarotonga's trees felled years ago. The bark is used as a local medicine and the nut oil is fetching high prices in Tahiti where it is used for its medicinal properties.
