The 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.
Heru, used by Maori to fasten long hair into a top knot. These also identified the rank of the wearer and were usually carved from a single piece of whale bone or wood and on occasion decorated with paua shell.
These days many bone carvings are made from cattle bone as it is an ethically abundant source.
