This fabulous Tara Kāniwha (barbed Bird Spear) hand carved from ethically sourced whale bone, by Owen Mapp, one of New Zealand's most incredible and world recognised carvers. This spear, carved in 2001 comes on a discrete wood and brass stand that really shows off this incredible carving. Stand and carving both signed.
Tara Kāniwha- bird spear points, were made from bone, hardwood, pounamu (greenstone) or, in some cases, the spine of a stingray. It is said that the tara kāniwha (barbed spear point) originated when Taranga told her son Māui, the legendary demigod, about it.
Bird spears were made from tawa wood, kāpara (heartwood of Rimu or kahikatea), or occasionally aka (stems of climbing plants). They had a barbed point (tara), sometimes detachable. Tara were made from bone (often human), from hardwood or hard parts of tree-fern trunks, or even from stingray spine or pounamu (greenstone). A tree on which the spear was used was known as a kaihua or rākau wero. Kākā were speared on Rātā, Kōwhai and Tāwari trees.
Whale Bone
has always been a special medium for Māori artists, Whales are considered a taonga species, and represent abundance, richness and were regarded as chiefly animals. Some tribes see whales as the descendants of Tangaroa, the god of the ocean and stranding’s are seen as gifts from Tangaroa and carving them is a way of honouring that gift. Whales
possess a tapu (sacred) significance to Māori as both supernatural beings and as harbingers of personal change and spiritual growth.
Genuine Whale bone - Ethically sourced from the Chatham Islands.
Bone Carving Size 590mm long x 42mm wide x 16mm thick
Stand Size 82mm long x 38mm wide x 95mm high
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.
