A large hand-carved Hei Matau (Maori Fish Hook) carved from cattle bone and wood, designed as a heritage replica of an 18th-century artifact held at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. This significant taonga symbolizes prosperity, authority, and safe passage, serving as a bridge between ancestral Pacific navigation and modern craftsmanship.
This Hei Matau is a meticulous recreation of a traditional maritime artifact currently housed in the prestigious Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. The design features a powerful, curved shank lashed to bone barb with 6 prongs. In Maori cosmology, the Matau represents the legendary hook of Māui, which hauled the land from the depths of the Moana (ocean). As a heritage piece, it carries the Mana (prestige) of indigenous history, acting as a spiritual anchor and protector for the modern voyager.
Exclusive to Toa Bone.
Copyright (C) Toa Bone. All rights reserved.
