A fabulous Manaia expertly handcrafted from a gorgeous piece of Raukaraka Pounamu. This Manaia is unique and with a red wax eye will make a truly fabulous taonga for a loved one.
Manaia
is a mythological creature in Māori culture and is a common motif in Māori carving and jewellery. The Manaia is usually depicted as having the head of a bird and the tail of a fish and the body of a man, though it is sometimes depicted as a bird, a serpent, or a human figure in profile. The Manaia is traditionally believed to be the messenger between the earthly world of mortals and the domain of the spirits, and its symbol is used as a guardian against evil.
Raukaraka- Genuine West Coast Greenstone from the Taramakau River Area. This is the term used by the Māori of the Cook Strait region of the Kawakawa variety that is streaked with a shade of olive green and has yellow and orange hues that blend into the greens. This stone shares its name with the New Zealand native Karaka tree.
Hand Carved by Des Hetherington
Size 79mm long x 58mm wide x 8mm thick
This will be the exact piece you will receive in the photos, there may be a slight degree of colour variation based on different computer or device screen resolutions that you are viewing from.
