A gorgeous Manaia (Guardian) handcrafted from a beautiful bright piece of Hapopo Pounamu - this Greenstone has a beautiful tones across the piece and has some patterns visible, beautifully carved and polished to accentuate the wonderful qualities of this taonga.
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.
Hapopo- Genuine West Coast Greenstone. It's colour ranges from medium green to a dark forest green with a unique mottled texture. The name originating from Kā Umu o Hapopo (Big Bay) which is in Poutini ki te toka (South Westland).
Hand Carved by Andrew McGregor
Size 76mm long x 46mm wide x 12mm 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.
