An incredible contemporary Purerehua with a double Koru hand carved from a stunning slice of Raukaraka Pounamu and mounted onto a beautiful water worn Inanga Pounamu.
Purerehua
is a traditional Māori instrument and taonga puoro (singing treasure). It consists of a flat, oval piece of wood, bone, or stone attached to a cord. When swung overhead, it creates a haunting, continuous whirring sound. They were deeply woven into every day and ceremonial Māori life. The humming vibrations mimic the sound of hovering blowflies, which traditionally was used to lure lizards out of hiding during times of food scarcity. They were often used to summon rain to water crops. The haunting call was believed to carry messages across long distances, and the instrument was frequently played at tangi (funerals) as a farewell to the dead. The chilling whir would often be used as an auditory warning to the community to "be alert and be careful"
Sculpture -
Raukaraka- Genuine West Coast Greenstone from the Taramakau River Area. This is the term used by the Māori of the Cook Strait region of the Kawakawa variety that is streaked with a shade of olive green and has yellow and orange hues that blend into the greens. This stone shares its name with the New Zealand native Karaka tree.
Base -
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 Peter Bishop
Size Sculpture 233mm long x 52mm wide x 6mm thick
Base 154mm wide x 70mm deep x 40mm high
Overall height of sculpture 92mm
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.
