Orokohanga Inanga
Dean Marjoribanks
$320.00
This product is currently sold out.
This taonga in the shape of Te Orokohanga, was carved from Inanga Pounamu from the Arahura Valley on the West Coast of Te Wai Pounamu; also known as the South Island, by Dean Marjoribanks of Te Whānau-a-Apanui.
’Te Orokohanga o te Ao’, is the Māori creation narrative, or otherwise ‘The creation of the Universe’. This shape reflects pūrākau (Māori oral traditions) that tell of the nature of the world around us in a state of perpetual becoming. Te Orokohanga, like many other Māori symbols, conveys an idea of constant, repeated creation. Te Orokohanga represents qualities of creation, energy, fertility, life, growth, energy and whakapapa (heritage). It manifests one’s physical and spiritual whakapapa, while guiding them through a world of constant renewal
This piece is carved from Inanga Pounamu, which is known for its silvery or pearly-green characteristics, which develop and change with age and oxidation. Inanga takes its name from the native freshwater Galaxias maculatus or the common whitebait which were an important source of kai (food) for Māori across Aotearoa during annual whitebait migrations. The colour of Inanga Pounamu reflects the pale, transparent nature of Mata, or, young whitebait.