This gorgeous Pipi shell hand carved from a fantastic piece of Inanga Pounamu, showing beautiful rich green tones, with clean edges and a satin polish. An enchanting and beautifully crafted taonga with an oceanic style.
The Pipi- (Paphies australis) is a small native shellfish found along sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters throughout Aotearoa. Known for its smooth, pale triangular shell and its habit of burrowing just beneath the sand, the Pipi is an important traditional kai species.
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.
Carved by Kyohei Noguchi
Size 70mm long x 40mm wide x 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.
