A beautiful Manaia guardian handcrafted from a wonderful piece of Inanga Pounamu. This Manaia is special with the incorporation of the whale tail and Kowhaiwhai. It will be a cherished 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.
Kowhaiwhai- The Kōwhaiwhai is a traditional Māori pattern that is used in whakairo (carving) and art, as well as being decorative, Kowhaiwhai patterns also help to tell a story. Kowhaiwhai in whare tipuna (meeting houses) are specially designed for the iwi (tribe) the house belongs to. It tells stories about their history. Kowhaiwhai are painted on the rafters or the tahuhu (ridgepole) of the house stretching the length of the building. The Kowhaiwhai painted on the ridgepole represents the whakapapa (genealogy) of the iwi (tribe). Nature is often the inspiration for these beautiful and stunning patterns.
Inanga- 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.
Hand Carved by Deane Moreton
Size 65mm long x 34mm 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.
