Jacob William Heberley (11 April 1849–28 June 1906), also known as Hākopa Hēperi,
was a New Zealand carver. Of
Māori descent, he identified with the
Te Ati Awa iwi. He was born in
Wellington,
New Zealand on 11 April 1849.
Heberley created many small carvings such as storehouses, weapons and model canoes, including a storehouse created for the 1901 tour of
George V and
Mary of Teck (then the
Duke of York
Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...
and
Duchess of Cornwall).
Biography
Heberley was born in 1849 in
Wellington, the son of James Heberley an English/German whaler from
Devon who came to
Queen Charlotte Sound in 1830, and his wife Te Wai (also known as Mata Te Naihi), of
Te Ati Awa.
Apparently self-taught with no strong links to any carving schools, Heberley likely began carving in the late 1860s while living in
Petone.
He moved to
Greytown, New Zealand in the
Wairarapa in 1877, where he met his wife Sarah McLachlan, who he married on 30 August 1977.
Together they had eight children, the first three of whom were born in Greytown. In the 1880s, Heberley moved back to Wellington. After his father's death in 1889, Heberley's nephews Thomas and Herbert moved in with his family, and he began teaching them carving.
In the 1900s, Heberley was commissioned by the New Zealand government and private European benefactors to create many Māori carvings,
such as bowls,
tokotoko (walking sticks), none of which depicted his tribal ancestors or were used to define the identity of the owners of the pieces.
Among these pieces were gifts for the
Coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra
The coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Emperor and Empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on 9 August 1902. Originally scheduled for 26 ...
commissioned by the premier of New Zealand
Richard Seddon, namely a tokotoko and a carved wooden frame for the coronation address to be stored inside.
Several pieces such as model waka and pataka (storehouse) were commissioned for
Lord Ranfurly and his wife, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York during their royal tour of 1901 (later styled as King
George V and Queen
Mary of Teck).
Heberley died in 1906, aged 56.
After his passing, his nephews Herbert and Thomas Henry continued to carve in a similar style to their uncle, however Heberley's style never formed a part of a community carving tradition.
Thomas Henry Heberley working on projects such restoring the Te Hau-ki-Tūranga meeting house on display in
Te Papa in 1936.
References
1849 births
1906 deaths
People from Wellington City
Te Āti Awa people
New Zealand Māori carvers
New Zealand people of English descent
New Zealand people of German descent
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