Te Taniwha Pounamu

Just look at the kanohi in this pounamu!  You can not deny those two white eyes staring out at your from the kohatu. Te Taniwha Pounamu, The pounamu Taniwha.  It’s right there in the stone.

And those colours. Just stunning. I wish you could hold this taonga in your hands. In 3D form, it is a strong, mesmerising piece of stunning beauty.

The pounamu Taniwha symbolises strength and guardianship, as that of the Taniwha.  It also symbolises iwi and community as the taniwha work to protect both.

Taniwha are supernatural creatures that live in the watery depths of rivers, seas, lakes and caves around Aotearoa. They take various shapes from dragons and serpents to sharks or logs of wood.

Taniwha can be both kaitiaki of a place or person or dangerous beings.  But when treated with the appropriate respect taniwha usually act kindly toward humans.

Most iwi have their own taniwha. Many taniwha came to Aotearoa as guardians of the different ancestral waka and stayed on to be kaitiaki over the descendants of the original crew.  As kaitiaki Taniwha might warn of an enemys approach or save someone from drowning.

Taniwha play a vital role in maintaining the balance of day to day life as they ensure that people respect the restrictions imposed by tapu. They also make certain that any violations are punished.

Poutini was a taniwha who protected both the people and the mauri of pounamu.  And Tim himself was led to his first pounamu (and subsequent others) when a pounamu taniwha appeared to him in a dream.  Read more on that beautiful story here.

• Maunga Hukarere from Cascasde Mountains
• 85mm length x 64mm width x 44 thick 
• One of a kind, taonga by Timoti

💚Now every taonga you purchase helps us to carve a taonga for EVERY tamariki in care in Aotearoa. You can read more about our Tū Māia project here. Ngā mihi mahana for your support of this kaupapa!💚