Fun Fact: There are 6 times more sheep than people in New Zealand!

That fun fact helped inspire this artwork. The soft toy sheep¹ on top is made out of pure wool and was chosen to represent how the sheep farming industry has supported the livelihood of generations of New Zealanders and forms part of their cultural identity. New Zealand is the world's fourth largest exporter of wool, and together with lamb and mutton sales, the sheep industry contributes to a significant portion of the country's exports.

Inside the wood sheep container², nestled in wool are four items that are also representative of New Zealand.

Silver milk bottle³: This represents New Zealand's largest export which is the dairy industry worth over US$10 billion in 2019 making up nearly 30% of the country's total exports. Fonterra a publicly traded dairy co-operative owned by around 10,500 New Zealand farmers is New Zealand's largest company.

VW Caravan⁴: This represents New Zealand's tourism industry, a major export supporting directly and indirectly nearly 500,000 jobs, about 13% of the working population. New Zealand, in particular the South Island is known for its pristine natural wonders offering travelers stunning landscapes filled with lush greens, rolling hills, majestic glaciers and more! The best way to see the sights is to rent a car or caravan and drive around on an epic road trip! I highly recommend visiting during both Summer and Winter seasons to see the breath of New Zealand's natural beauty.

All Blacks Rugby Ball⁵: Rugby is considered New Zealand's national sport and its teams are the best in the world. The All Blacks national team has made the country proud by holding the World Rugby Rankings top spot longer than all other teams combined. Rugby is part of the Kiwi culture and the All Blacks are known globally for performing the Haka, a pregame ritual based on the Māori ceremonial dance or challenge. The All Blacks logo, the silver fern is a quasi-national emblem symbolic of New Zealand's national identity since the 1880s.

Kiwi Bird⁶: This nocturnal, furry, and flightless bird is the national symbol of New Zealand. The Kiwi bird is an example of New Zealand's unique wildlife and is held in high regard by the indigenous Māori people. The Māori believe the Kiwi bird is a taonga (treasure) with spiritual ties, and holds cultural significance as the feathers are used to weave the kahu kiwi, a feathered cloak worn by Māori chiefs.

Fun Fact: New Zealand soldiers had kiwi bird emblems on their badges which led their WW1 and WW2 compatriots to use the nickname "Kiwi" which gradually grew to become attributed to all New Zealanders.

Pounamu Toki⁷: Greenstone (also known as jade) is considered a precious and powerful stone by Māori people. It is often carved into a pendant or necklace which carries special meaning for its wearer. This hand carved greenstone pendant is shaped like an axe head due to the Māori design Hei Toki (Adze), and it has a Manaia face engraved onto one side. The Toki symbolises strength, authority and triumph over adversity. It was used by Māori to defend themselves when faced by a threatening challenge. The Toki was often carried by a Maori chief or conquering warrior who was considered to have great strength and honour. This toki comes in a flax kete bag, is hung on a waxed plaited cord and has a matt finish.

Reference: (1) Wool sheep soft toy found in Auckland Airport; (2) Wood sheep container found in Te Anau; (3)(4)Silver milk bottle & VW caravan keychains found online; (5) All Blacks mini rugby ball found in Dunedin Champions of the World store; (6) Aluminum Kiwi bird found in West Coast Wildlife Centre Franz Josef Glacier; (7) Greenstone pounamu toki with manaia design found in Auckland.