This Rei Niho is hand carved from Inanga Pounamu, showing soft green-grey tones. Notched detailing runs down each side of the pendant and the rind of the stone is stippled like shark skin. A wonderful and detailed taonga.
Rei Niho(Eye Tooth) carved from pounamu, maintains the beauty of the traditional form, symbolising the intimate connection between Maori and Tohorā. The mark of a high Chief was one who wore the rei niho (whale tooth pendant), as the teeth of the sperm whale (Paraoa) were highly prized because of their rarity. With actual whale teeth being such a rarity, it became common to fashion the tooth form from other materials such as this example created from Pounamu.
Inanga
– This 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 Dave Curtis
Size 55mm long x 36mm 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.
