Maori Manaia - Protector and Guardian

Maori handmade Manaia is an intelligent force of nature in the Maori culture. This Manaia was carved from cow bone and has paua shell eyes. It is strung on hand woven wax cord with a clasp is a green jade bead and round enclosure. More about Manaia below.

The owner of Gathering Tribes obtained these while part of a Movement Rights Indigenous delegation to Aotearoa to meet with Maori leaders about the Rights of Mother Earth and how they protected the Whanganui River and the Te Urewera mountain Range.

Size: 4.25" H x 1.5" W

From Arrowtown Stonework:
The Manaia is a significant symbol in Māori tradition, typically portrayed with the head of a bird, body of a human, and tail of a fish, symbolising unity between sky, earth, and sea. It serves as a guardian, offering protection, courage, and spiritual connection, linking us to ancestral wisdom and the unseen spiritual world.

The Manaia pendant safeguards the wearer from harm and negative influences. Its bird-like form symbolises spiritual freedom and the ability to move between physical and spiritual realms, enhancing overall wellbeing (hauora) through balance and harmony."