This Manaia (Guardian) is hand carved from Auhunga Pounamu, with dark green shifting to sandy and olive tones.The form is clean and expressive, spiraling into a beautifully defined and finished tail. With balanced shaping that brings out the protective qualities of the Manaia and finished with a high polish, the piece carries clarity, depth, and refined character.
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.
Auhunga- Genuine West Coast Greenstone from the Arahura River area, West Coast. Auhunga Pounamu is a pale opaque green colour. Resembling the Southern New Zealand mountains, its name translates to frosty, given as the intermediate of Inanga and Kawakawa.
Hand Carved by Luke Gardiner
Size 68mm Long x 50mm wide x 7.5mm 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.
