Moko Pounamu Koropepe Manaia Genuine Whale Bone Carving - Okuku

This fantastic Koropepe is hand carved from Whale Bone with beautiful Goat Horn eyes and has wonderful Unaunahi patterns on both sides. The mastery of this carver has to be seen to be believed, really stunning.

Koropepe is a mythical being in the shape of an eel, (an important food source for pre-European Maori). It also represents that of a grandfather and has a spiritual meaning of guardianship and warding off evil. The Koru, the curling part of this carving, represents an unfurling new fern shoot, new beginnings, hope, personal growth, purity nurturing, a new phase in life, the spirit of rejuvenation and peace, that of a new Mokopuna (grandchild). Together they form a strong spiritual force for good.

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 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.

Carved by Owen Mapp CNZM

Size 57mm long x 73mm wide x 10mm 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.