An exquisite sculpture in Kahurangi Pounamu by Des Hetherington, this piece has a Tiki inside a Two-Headed Manaia. This combined symbol links the material realm of the Tiki - representing the first man - with the spiritual realm of the Manaia, and the The Two-Headed Manaia can mean heightened awareness, or protection from multiple realms. The Kahurangi Greenstone shows beautiful green hues and the characteristic flecks of this type of stone. This is an extraordinary and singular work of art wrought from stone - a taonga of depth and beauty which will be at home in any collection.
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.
Tiki- According to legend was the first man on Earth who originated from the stars. The first mortal person who created the first woman after his image. The exact meaning of the Tiki is disputed. There are several opinions but the most accepted are that the Tiki stands for fertility. Traditionally regarded as a good luck charm meant to keep evil spirits away.
Kahurangi- Genuine West Coast Greenstone from the Marsden, West Coast area. Kahurangi is the rarest variety of pounamu. It is highly translucent and often comes in vivid shades of green. Small, feather-like markings in the stone can give a cloud effect – although to be classed as Kahurangi, this effect must not reduce the stone’s clarity. The word Kahurangi also indicates nobility and refers to precious jewels and held in high esteem by Māori.
Your sculpture will be supplied with the Rimu wood stand and wooden box for storage and shipping
Hand Carved by Des Hetherington
Overall dimensions - 309mm high x 202mm wide x 129mm deep
Kahurangi sculpture - 269mm high x 151mm wide x approx 20mm thick
Rimu base portion - 202mm wide x 40mm high x 129mm deep
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.
