A gorgeous Rei Niho (Whales tooth) handcrafted from a beautiful piece Inanga Pounamu with an incredible patch of Kokopu Pounamu on the back.
Rei niho (Eye Tooth) carved from pounamu, maintains the beauty of the traditional form, symbolising the intimate connection between Maori and Tohorā. The mark of a high Chief was one who wore the Rei Niho (whale tooth pendant), as the teeth of the sperm whale (Paraoa) were highly prized because of their rarity. With actual whale teeth being such a rarity, it became common to fashion the tooth form from other materials such as this example created from Pounamu.
Genuine West Coast 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.
Genuine West Coast Kokopu Greenstone from the Taramakau River area, West Coast.Comes in many colour variations from light to dark browns, creamy whites, light blues, olive greens to yellow even golden. Also known as trout-stone named after the dark brown, olive green and yellowish markings found on the three species of native freshwater trout. The spotted textures and range of colour give this stone a diverse presence.
Hand carved by Conrad Henderson
Size
59mm long x 48mm 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.
