A stunning Manaia carved from a gorgeous piece of Chatoyant Pīpīwharauroa Inanga Pounamu. This piece has been skilfully carved to show the multiple bands of chatoyancy rippling across the lower part of the pendant - an incredibly rare and sought after feature in Greenstone and a beautiful thing to see in person. These bands can reflect as darker than the surrounding stone - or lighter - depending on how they are held to the light - but observing the stone changing between these two states is the marvel of Chatoyant Nephrite Jade.
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.
Inanga
– This 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.
Pīpīwharauroa- This is a rare and unique type of stone usually found in the Inanga, Tangiwai and dark Kawakawa varieties. Named after the shining cuckoo, the green and white shimmering plumage are like the thin bands of light that cause a chatoyant effect like a cat’s eye as the stone is moved about.
Hand Carved by Des Hetherington
Size 91mm long x 60mm 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.
