Maori Carved Manaia Bone Heru Comb

Description

Maori Carved Manaia Bone Heru Comb

17 cm x 4 cm (approx)

*Please note photo’s are close up and cropped so can result in the item being magnified so please check measurements. The natural sunlight may enhance the beautiful natural colours.

Heru is the Maori word for this beautiful traditionally styled bone hair comb. This Heru consist of four teeth. In Maori culture, men wore their hair long with a top knot, and women wore their hair short. A Heru is the ornament, stuck in the top knot, which decorated the heads of top-ranking men. They were a symbol of mana, or status and prestige. Many of the combs had faces, which were decorated with paua-shell eyes. Nowadays it is a unisex hair adornment and can also be worn as a pendant

 Symbolic Meaning of Manaia

The manaia is known as a spiritual guardian, and carrier of supernatural powers.

Traditionally depicted as a bird like figure with the head of a bird, body of a man and the tail of a fish, acting as a provider and protector over Sky, Earth and Sea. Likened to a bird sitting on your shoulder, looking after ones spirit, and guiding your spirit where it is supposed to go when your time comes.

The Manaia is often depicted with the three fingers of birth, life and death. It can also be shown with a fourth finger representing the afterlife and describing the circle of life.

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