Te Wahi Pounamu Large Manaia with Koru Tail

A wonderful Manaia guardian beautifully handcrafted with sensitive use by the carver of a translucent streak in the stone. Strung on a handwoven caramel colour adjustable cord. A lovely gift for an extremely 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.

57mm x 38mm diameter.