This Manaia is 80mm in width and 45mm in height.
It is carved from pounamu we have collected from the Marsden Valley in the Paroa area, just outside of Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.
The Manaia has an extremely strong, waxed nylon cord so the pendant can be worn ALL the time - even in any kind of water. The cord is adjustable by pinching the special knots between your thumb and finger and pulling.
Pendant Meaning: The Manaia is your guardian angel.
It has the head of a bird, the body of a human and the tail of a fish - in this case the Tuna (eel) in the shape of a Koru. It represents the Earth, Sea and Sky. It protects the wearer from evil and bad things from those places and brings you good luck in your life.
This Manaia also has a Koru. The Koru represents the new shoots of the fern plant opening so it symbolises growth, harmony and new beginnings. It also represents the family as a whole, an individual person, an event, time, place, accomplishment or achievement that has happened in your life.
They were traditionally tattooed on the body and carved in the main poles and panels in the Whare/house. The Maori had an oral language. Their life story was told from the Koru's that were tattooed and carved. It is up to the person to tell the story of what their Koru’s represent.
The three fingers of the human hand represent birth, life and death.