This is part of a stunning series of Pounamu Bowls (Ipu Kōhatu). This piece is hand carved from an incredible piece of bright Kahurangi Pounamu, this wonderfully tactile stone is shaped to sit comfortably between the fingers or rest naturally in the palm. Its polished surface and gently rounded contours make it ideal for repetitive handling.
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.
Kahurangi- Genuine West Coast Greenstone from the Marsden, West Coast area. Kahurangi is the rarest variety of pounamu. It is highly translucent and often comes in vivid shades of green. Small, feather-like markings in the stone can give a cloud effect – although to be classed as Kahurangi, this effect must not reduce the stone’s clarity. The word Kahurangi also indicates nobility and refers to precious jewels and held in high esteem by Māori.
Hand Carved by Daryl Munro
Size 69mm long x 45mm wide 15mm 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.
