Hook (Hei Matau) Manaia Bone Carving #3 - Norman Clark

Fish hook or ’Hei Matau’ in Maori means ’Prosperity’.  STOCK LEVEL: 1 LEFT

The Manaia is the most widely used and developed element in Maori art. It is presented and contorted in innumerable ways, twisting and taking on an infinite variety of forms and filling an infinite variety of spaces. Yet the eye must always be present.

One interpretation of Manaia is that it is derived from the word mana (authority, influence, jurisdiction, and prestige). Manaia can mean to contain mana, or to cause something to have mana.

The Manaia is described in many ways. The word doubles as the word for lizard and some say it is a beaked and ornamental figure. Others say its origins are in the human profile, or that the Manaia relates to a distant avian (bird) cult. The bird is thought to be an omen-carrier or intermediary between man and the spirits.

Hand crafted in New Zealand by one of New Zealand’s leading carvers. This carving has been smoked with honey which enhances the natural bone texture.

Each piece is unique and therefore may vary slightly in size, colour and markings.