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Hand carved
Smooth lines, soft finishes, no scratches and no cuts.
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The Manaia is a guardian and protector.
The Manaia is a messenger and spiritual kaitiaki (guardian) of the sky, earth and sea.A greatly respected mythological creature in Māori culture, it brings balance and protection to those you love most.
Luke Gardiner
The artist behind this creationRaised on the wild and rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Luke still calls Hokitika home. A self-taught artist, he finds his inspiration in nature and has been recreating its beauty in greenstone for over a decade. Luke carefully assesses each piece of jade before deciding which design will best suit. Flawlessness, colour, inner light and visual impact are all important, but his gift for retaining the ‘essence’ and ‘feeling which the raw jade holds, takes his work to a different plane.
What Manaia traditionally meant to Māori remains somewhat a mystery, but commonly it is considered that they are magical creatures and spiritual kaitiaki (guardians) of things worth protecting.
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. Māori culture is rich in pūrākau (legends), and within these legends, mythological, supernatural, and magical creatures are featured prominently, often acting as kaitiaki (guardians) of people or places worth protecting.