ABOUT · THE MATERIAL
Carving with
Ōamaru stone
A soft, warm limestone quarried in North Otago — workable by hand, beautiful in finish, and built to last centuries.
35–40
MILLION YEARS OLD
Totara
GEOLOGICAL NAME · TOTARA LIMESTONE
NZ
A FAVOURITE STONE OF NZ SCULPTORS
HOW IT FORMED
Born from
an ancient sea
When Totara Limestone formed 35–40 million years ago, a shallow warm sea covered around 200 square kilometres of what is now North Otago, stretching as far west as Aviemore.
The hard calcareous shells of marine animals and plants accumulated on the sea floor, building up a thick layer of limey sediment. Over millions of years that sediment became lithified — hardened into rock — and was eventually lifted above sea level.
Today we carve into that ancient seabed, shaped by forces that began long before humans existed.
FORMATION PERIOD
35 to 40 million years ago. The Eocene epoch — long before the Southern Alps existed in their current form.
SEA EXTENT
Approximately 200 sq km of shallow warm sea covered the North Otago region, reaching as far west as Aviemore.
COMPOSITION
Mostly sand-sized bryozoan fragments, with vast numbers of foraminifera microfossils, and larger fossils of molluscs, brachiopods, corals and echinoderms.
RARE FINDS
Occasionally penguin or whale bones, and shark teeth are found embedded in the stone — remnants of the creatures that once swam in that ancient sea.
WHAT LIVES INSIDE THE STONE
Every piece hides a world
Oamaru stone is alive with the remnants of ancient marine life. Brett often doesn't know what the stone holds until the carving begins — and that is part of what makes each piece unique.
"We often don't know what we will find in the stone until we begin our work. In most cases we simply accept any variations the stone throws at us — and work with them."
BRETT KENO · SCULPTOR
THE CRAFT
Working with what the stone gives
No two pieces of Ōamaru stone are alike. Soft spots, colour variations, fossil pockets and unexpected inclusions are all part of carving with a natural material — and Brett has worked with them for over 25 years.
Occasionally a carver may find a brown or soft spot, believed to be a branch or wood matter trapped within the stone over millennia. These are not flaws — they are part of the stone's story.
Where necessary, blemishes can be addressed cosmetically, but more often they are worked into the design — becoming part of what makes each piece one of a kind.
WORKABILITY
Oamaru stone can be readily shaped by hand tools — one of the reasons it is the preferred stone of sculptors and stone carvers throughout New Zealand.
COLOUR & FINISH
Its naturally white, warm tone takes fine detail well and develops a gentle, living patina over time — deepening with weather and age.
SOFT SPOTS & INCLUSIONS
Natural variations are embraced rather than hidden. Brett works with — not against — what the stone reveals.
EVERY PIECE IS SEALED
Before leaving the studio, each sculpture is sealed with a water repellent to protect the surface and enhance longevity.
LONGEVITY
Built to outlast generations
The durability of limestone is often questioned because it is not a hard stone like marble or granite. But the evidence speaks for itself — many of the oldest buildings in the South Island are constructed from Oamaru limestone, and they still stand today.
The pyramids of Egypt are built from limestone. Limestone cathedrals across Europe have stood for centuries. The question is not whether the stone lasts — it does — but how well it is cared for.