Moko Pounamu Moko kauae Genuine Whale Bone Carving - Arapito

This is an incredible Moko kauae design and is hand carved from Whale Bone with Paua eyes. The mastery of this carver has to be seen to be believed, really stunning.

Moko kauae- are received by women on their lips and chin. A Moko Kauae represents a woman's whānau and leadership within her community, recognising her whakapapa, status, and abilities. It is a traditional taonga passed down over many generations from the ancestress Niwareka.

Bone has always been a special medium for Māori artists, Whales are considered a taonga species, and represent abundance, richness and were regarded as chiefly animals. Some tribes see whales as the descendants of Tangaroa, the god of the ocean and stranding’s are seen as gifts from Tangaroa and carving them is a way of honouring that gift. Whales possess a tapu (sacred) significance to Māori as both supernatural beings and as harbingers of personal change and spiritual growth.

Genuine Whale bone - Ethically sourced from the Kapiti Island.

Size 114mm x 77mm x 9mm

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.