Mau Kakī Pounamu Rei Niho Parāoa - Moa Hunter Period Nephrite and Whalebone Neck Ornament

Sands Carving Studio

P..3500S

The Archaic or Moa Hunter period is when the Polynesians made first contact with the moa, around 700 to 800 years ago. 

Moa Hunter people adorned themselves with necklaces made of various materials, including shark teeth, ivory, shell, stone, bird bone tubes, sperm whale teeth, and porpoise teeth, often featuring a central pendant made from a large sperm whale tooth or a stone replica.

This Mau Kakī Pounamu Rei Niho Parāoa - Moa Hunter Period Pounamu and Whalebone Neck Ornament features Whale bone reels, carved teeth from Kokopu pounamu and a seal tooth toggle.

It was hand-carved and assembled by Alex Sands and hangs at 35 cm.