Manaia Matau Bone Carving

A beautiful hand carved bone Manaia/Matau 

Length approx. 5.3cm

Width at widest point approx. 2.4cm

Depth approx. .5cm

Hei Matau/Fish Hook - represents safety, strength, good fortune, and luck while travelling over water. It also represents a connection to moana (the ocean) and other bodies of water. Hei Matau is well established in Maori legends due to Maui having a Hei Matau made of his grandmother’s (Murirangawhenua) jawbone.

Manaia - is a mythical Maori creature with the head of a bird, the body of a human, and the tail of a fish. This is to represent the sky, earth, and sea. A Manaia serves as a guardian or protector from evil, as well as connecting you with the spiritual world and ancestors.