This graceful Whale Tail is carved from Inanga pounamu, showing soft, muted olive green tones with subtle grey mottling running through the stone. The colour has a gentle, understated quality, shifting from a warm, mossy green in the light to a deeper, shadowed green through the thicker parts of the carving. The Whale Tail a symbol of strength, safe journeys, and connection to the ocean is shaped with smooth, flowing curves and a beautifully polished finish that highlights the natural character of the stone.
Suspended from an adjustable taupe braided cord, this elegant pendant is a meaningful keepsake that celebrates both Māori tradition and the natural beauty of Aotearoa.
Whale Tail- Muri Paraoa - meaning speed and strength. The Whale Tail represents the support often shown by dolphins and whales to humans in distress, therefore a symbol of protection. It expresses the respect for the sea and nature thus a symbol of good luck, providing safe passage over water. The Whale was the most important animal in the life of the Maori. Besides speed and strength, it also represents success, confidence, sensitivity, and the bond between animal and human.
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 by Kyohei Noguchi
Size 38mm long x 60mm wide x 9mm 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.
