Hei Matau (fish hook)
Shared by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Hei matau are stylised fish hook neck pendants, usually made from pounamu (New Zealand greenstone). This hei matau is made from the inanga (milky white) variety of pounamu. The source of the pounamu has been identified as Westland, on the West Coast of the South Island. The elaborately carved crown is where a line would normally be bound on a functional fish hook, but in this case it is entirely decorative. The barb point has been decorated with delicate notching. Symbolic representationsHei matau are symbolic representations of the fish hook used by the ancestral Polynesian cultural hero Māui. According to legend, Māui hauled up the North Island of New Zealand, Te-Ika-a-Māui (the great fish of Māui), from the depths of the ocean during a fishing expedition with his brothers. Hei matau also denote the importance of fishing to Māori, and their relationship to Tangaroa (the guardian of the sea and its environs).
Ngā whakamārama
Details
-
Title
Hei Matau (fish hook)
-
Maker
Unknown
-
Date made
1700-1850
-
Subject
inanga (stone), pounamu, necklaces, pectorals, lapidary, Kaiapoi, Canterbury, Te Puawaitanga: 1500 - 1800, Ngāi Tahu [attributed], Augustus Hamilton
-
Rights
All Rights Reserved
-
View source record for this item
Kei hea tēnei taonga?
Where is this item held?
-
Additional information including high resolution images may be available.
-
Location
Cable Street, Wellington
-
Website
Whare taonga | Organisation
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Ngā here ki runga i ngā whakaahua o tēnei taonga?
What can you do with images of this item?
-
You must check with Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa to confirm terms of use and any attribution requirements, but this is our understanding:
-
Use for private study, research, criticism, review, or education
NZ Copyright law allows for the use of copyrighted works in specific circumstances. Consider what you can do under copyright law.
-
No sharing
You can't share this image without futher permission.
-
No modifying
You can't modify, remix or add to this image without further permission.
-
No commercial use
You can't use this image to make money.
-
Text adapted with permission from Te Papa and Digital NZ
Tāpirihia he kōrero anō
Improve this record
-
Can you help us? Share names, details and stories to help enrich the collection.