A stunning Manaia with a red wax eye handcrafted from a fabulous piece of South Westland Inanga Totoweka Pounamu. A wonderful sculpture to treasure for generations to come. This carving will be a fantastic taonga for a loved and respected whanau.
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- 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.
Totoweka- This stone is usually like the mid green Kawakawa variety but differs in that the spotting or streaks are red like blood. It is rare to find Totoweka in the Westland jade fields, but when a piece is discovered, it is highly cherished and sometimes becomes the show piece of the fossicker’s collection. Large deposits of Totoweka occur in the South Westland area. The name comes from toto (blood), weka (Native bush hen) or weka blood. The red iron oxide inclusions were likened to the colour of blood of the Weka. Authentically sourced from Hokiauau/Big Bay South Westland
Hand crafted by Dean Hetherington
Sculpture Size 202mm long approx. x 130mm wide x 18mm thick
Total height 235mm
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.
