A striking Contemporary Manaia (guardian) beautifully handcrafted from a stunning piece of Kahurangi Pounamu. This Manaia is special with the incorporation of the Whale Tail and the satin finish. It will make a brilliant gift and be a much loved Taonga.
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.
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 .
Hand Carved by Luke Leaf
Size 73mm long x 35mm wide
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.
