Journal

To be honest they are all terms for the same thing. Pounamu is a very hard, durable and highly valued stone used for making jewellery, tools and weapons. Each of the names given to Pounamu is used by different groups

Maori recognised four main types of Pounamu Kawakawa pounamu is the most common variety of pounamu. It comes in many shades – from strong rich green to dark green – and often has small dark flecks, called inclusions, which add to its character.Variations of kawakawa include the olive-green raukaraka pounamu and totoweka pounamu, which has reddish spots and streaks.Kawakawa pounamu is named after the common native kawakawa tree (Macropiper excelsum). Its colour is likened to the leaves of the tree. Pare kawakawa (garlands of kawakawa leaves) were sometimes worn by grieving women at funerals. Kahurangi Pounamu is the rarest variety...

Manaia 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 body of a man, though it is sometimes depicted as a bird, a serpent, or a human figure in profile. Other interpretations include a seahorse and a lizard.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. In this form, it is usually represented in a...