The faces of Anton Teutenberg

The old Auckland Supreme Court - now the High Court - with its pointed arches and colonnades has a few striking faces on them.
They are the work of Anton Teutenberg - German born stonemason, jeweller, medallist, carver and engraver.
Ferdinand Anton Nicolaus Teutenberg was born on December 4, 1840, to Ludwig Teutenberg, who was a gunsmith to King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, and his wife Franziska.
He learned engraving from his father then served two years as a military conscript.
His brother Frederick - believed to have been a mercenary - came to New Zealand and encouraged him and other members of his family to come out, which they did in 1866.
Anton had not been here long when he was offered the commission to carve the heads and gargoyles for the Supreme Court building being constructed under the supervision of architect Edward Rumsey. Anton had carved a piece of filigree woodwork for the captain of the ship the Rob Roy who had shown it to Rumsey.
For 15s. a day he carved six major heads in stone – a medium he had never before handled – and a number of gargoyles, along with a series of wooden heads for the gallery of the court room.
Many of the heads depicted judges and major dignitaries including Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, George Grey, Edward Gibbon Wakefield and HōneHeke. It is one of the first instances of public sculpture constructed in New Zealand.
Anton went on to sculpt heads for the post office building in Shortland Street.
He took on many commissions and his work was all over Auckland as wood carvings, St John’s Wesleyan Church, Pitt Street Wesleyan Church, the Bank of New South Wales in Queen Street and woodwork in the old Waiwera Hotel.
But most of his work that has survived is as a medallist. He opened a business with his brother Karl offering stamps,dies and presses. He created the United Fire Brigades’ Association of New Zealand’s five year long service medal - winning the design against an English firm. It is little changed from his design, even today.
Other works include chemists’ seals, ingot stamps from gold mines, prize medals and commemorative medals along with the New Zealand jubilee and Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee military tournament medal.
Anton also made silver jewellery and silver and gold napkin rings which are in the collection of the Auckland museum.
He was considered the premier engraver and medallist in New Zealand at the time.
In 2016, a brooch and earring set that appeared to have been made by Anton sold for $103,000.
He married Nannchen Nicolai on September 28, 1881. They had three sons. He died in Auckland on October 2, 1933 and is buried in Waikumete Cemetery.​