A wonderful Manaia guardian handcrafted from a gorgeous piece of Inanga stone. This Manaia carving is extremely special and would be an amazing gift for a very special person.

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 Inanga Greenstone from the Arahura River area, West Coast. A grey-green colour. It is either very translucent or quite opaque. Highly prized by the Maori and the desired material for making Mere and Patu.

Hand Carved by Deane Moreton

Size

77mm long x 46mm wide