NZ Greenstone Manaia

Made with genuine New Zealand pounamu, greenstone.

Dimensions:  60 mm x 45 mm

The Meaning of the Manaia

Believed to be a messenger that moves freely between the spirit realm and the human world, the Manaia is a mythological creature, greatly respected in Māori culture and a predominant motif in wood and greenstone carving. 

Originally Māori had no written language, and symbolic meanings such as the manaia were embodied in carving, knots, and weaving to communicate and record stories, while traditional songs and dances shared the myths and folklore of ancestors.