Hei Tiki en jade
Hei Tiki in jade. Very beautiful realization of a Maori artist from the south of the island of New Zealand. Second half of the 10th century. The tiki represents the ancestors. This jewel has a mana of luck. The mouth is the symbol of communication, the head of thought, the heart of love and fertility and the hands of power and strength. A well scuptled tiki shows three tikis: the head, the head and the trunk and the third one the lower part of the tiki. The tikis are transmitted from generation to generation, carrying the mana of the ancestors. It is a great honour to be offered a tiki which is often blessed by the sculptors. Length: 10 cm width: 4.5 cm thickness: 0.5 cm weight: 42 grams. Provenance: bought in situ in an art gallery in Hokitika, private collection near Paris.