A stunning Manaia handcrafted from a rich shiny piece of Pipiwharauroa Pounamu. This incredible carving is an old school style Manaia design. Such a wonderful piece and perfect when you want a striking taonga for special whanau.
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.
Pīpīwharauroa- This is a rare and unique type of stone usually found in the Inanga, Tangiwai and dark Kawakawa varieties. Named after the shining cuckoo, the green and white shimmering plumage are like the thin bands of light that cause a chatoyant effect like a cat’s eye as the stone is moved about.
Carved by Des Hetherington
Size 196mm long x 53mm 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.
