Hei Matau Kawakawa Pounamu

Description

This Hei Matau is carved from a beautiful piece of Kawakawa Pounamu, sourced from the South Island of Aotearoa. It measures 60mm long and features the natural, pale rind of the stone along one edge, a soft contrast to the deep, mossy greens of the heart of the stone. The Hei Matau – the fish hook – is a powerful and well-known symbol in Te Ao Māori. It represents strength, safe travel across water, prosperity, and a deep connection to the ocean.

Traditionally, the Hei Matau was worn by those who voyaged across great distances, offering protection and guidance from Tangaroa, the atua of the sea. But its meaning also goes beyond physical travel. It speaks to the journeys we each take in our lives – the tides we navigate, the challenges we rise to, and the abundance we find in relationship, growth, and identity.

The inclusion of the rind on this taonga is deliberate. It grounds the piece in its original form, a quiet acknowledgment of where it came from and the stone’s connection to the whenua. As much as the Hei Matau points forward, the rind reminds us to look back – to whakapapa, to place, and to purpose.

This is a taonga for someone on a journey. Someone whose life is shaped by connection, by movement, and by the strength to endure and grow through all tides.

Size: 60mm

Material: Kawakawa Pounamu/Nephrite

Carver: David Curtis