Pounamu Hei Matau 40mm Bob Steiner Pounamu Hei Matau Manaia Pendant

Pounamu Hei Matau Manaia Pendant by Alex Sands

For centuries it has been used to record whakapapa (genealogy)

the higher rank was implied even though amongst Maori this was not always the case

Small Ipu Kohatu (dish) made from pounamu by  Alex Sands

The mask can be related to an important ancestor of the house or be symbolic of a story relating to the origins of the carving

Pounamu Hei Matau 40mm Bob Steiner Pounamu Hei Matau Manaia PendantNZ Pounamu On a waxed nylon cord. Adjustable length. 40 x 24 x 5mm About Hei Matau: The Hei Matau (fish hook) finds its origins in Maori legend the North Island of New Zealand was once a huge fish that was caught by the great mariner, Maui, using only a woven line and a hook made from the jawbone of his grandmother. The fish hook denotes the importance of fishing to the Maori and their strong relationship to Tangaroa, the god of the sea. Originally a