An amazing Manaia handcrafted from a high quality Kawakawa Flower Jade. A magical and exquisite Manaia.

The 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.

Genuine West Coast Greenstone – Kawakawa. A dark rich green with varying intermediate shades, named after the leaf of the Kawakawa. It is the main type used in gem purposes. The most prized Greenstone in New Zealand is flower jade, Greenstone with pale green or ochre clouds of colour. This distinctive patterning and colouring come from the outside rim or 'rind' of the greenstone boulders or stones where the surface has oxidised.

Hand carved by Deane Moreton

Size

71mm long x 41mm wide