This is part of a stunning series of Pounamu Bowls (Ipu Kōhatu). This stunning bowl is hand carved from a wonderful piece of Inanga Pounamu with fantastic Kokopu patterns throughout it and will be a thoughtful taonga.
Ipu Kōhatu- Pounamu (greenstone) bowls, are exquisite, hand-carved taonga (treasures) crafted from New Zealand nephrite jade, often used for display, holding small treasures, or ceremonial purposes. Hand carved from South Island pounamu (mostly Kawakawa or Tangiwai), these bowls are shaped using diamond-tipped tools or traditional grinding techniques, often polished to highlight the stone's natural beauty and veining.
While often used for modern decorative art, traditionally in a cultural context, specific bowls were used to hold water for the whakanoa ritual—a process of cleansing to remove tapu (sacred restrictions) from people, allowing them to return to a noa (ordinary/free) state, particularly after visiting cemeteries or sacred spaces.
Inanga- Pounamu takes its name from a freshwater fish native to New Zealand. It is pale and often transparent, like the young of the Inanga fish. It is pearly white to grey green in colour, and ranges from translucent to quite opaque. It can change colour over time, developing a light olive tint as it ages and oxidises - Highly prized by the Māori and the desired material for making Mere and Patu.
Kokopu- Greenstone from the West Coast Taramakau River area, West Coast. Comes in many colour variations from light to dark browns, creamy whites, light blues, olive greens to yellow and even golden. Also known as trout-stone named after the dark brown, olive green and yellowish markings found on the three species of native freshwater trout. The spotted textures and range of colour give this stone a diverse presence.
Hand Carved by Daryl Munro
Size 145mm long x 68mm wide 20mm 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.
