A wonderful Toki and carved from ethically sourced Whale bone from Kapiti Island. This carving has a double Manaia through the middle and makes this a very special taonga that will be passed through many generations and treasured by those who have the honour of being its caretaker. The mastery of this carver has to be seen to be believed, really stunning.
Toki(Adze) – The Toki had much meaning for the Maori, fashioned from stone or greenstone it was an essential tool for survival and day to day life for the Maori. That is the reason Maori attribute the spiritual meaning of strength and power to the Toki. This symbol resembles determination, control, strength, focus and honour.
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.
Whale 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.
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.
