This hand-carved bone pendant measures 83mm high by 40mm wide and features three circular inlays made from vibrant New Zealand pāua shell down its center. The outer sides are carved with smooth, sweeping curves and detailed notched pattern work. It comes ready to wear on a durable, black woven cord attached through a drilled hole at the top.
The design centers around the sacred number three, drawing inspiration from traditional Māori cosmology and mythology. The vertical layout mirrors the three connected realms of existence: Ranginui (the Sky Father) above, Papatūānuku (the Earth Mother) below, and Te Ao Mārama (the World of Light and physical reality) in between.
The three pāua shell inlays down the center represent Ngā Kete o te Wānanga, or the Three Baskets of Knowledge. These are Te Kete Tuauri, the basket of sacred rituals and unseen spiritual patterns; Te Kete Tuatea, the basket of human relations, history, and ancestral connections; and Te Kete Aronui, the basket of observational practical sciences, arts, and physical reality.
On a personal level, the number three stands for complete internal balance between Tinana (the physical body), Hinengaro (the mind and emotions), and Wairua (the spirit). In Pacific carving traditions, natural bone is valued as a meaningful material that gradually absorbs the wearer's life energy, or mauri, over time. The bright pāua shell inlays serve as eyes, symbolizing sight, light, and awareness.
Exclusive to Toa Bone.
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