Moko Pounamu Double Manaia Genuine Whale Bone - Puketi

This wonderful Manaia is hand carved from Whale Bone with a Paua eye and Unaunahi and Koru pattern carved all over, keeping you protected and connected to your whakapapa. The mastery of this carver has to be seen to be believed, a really stunning taonga.

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.

Unaunahi- a pattern in te ao Māori, characterised by repeating crescent shapes or fish scales, signifies abundance, prosperity and health, particularly in relation to the ocean and its resources. It represents the connection between Māori and the sea, their reliance on it for sustenance, and their spiritual connection to Tangaroa, the god of the sea.

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 strandings 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 Kapiti Island.

Carved by Owen Mapp CNZM

Size 65mm long x 97mm 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.