SOLD

C 19 Extremely large Maori greenstone Mere at 18.3ins. Superb form & balance. Beautiful deep speckled greenstone translucence. Robust hand grip section tapered to graceful blade form with finely defined striking leading edge. Tradition conformation soft ringed reke beehive finial & conical hourglass bored lanyard thong hole. Hand worked & sand polish evident.Made from South Westland apple green jade with chatoyant river adding beauty and character making it unique, fantastic overall translucency against light . Example of Master Mere Greenstone Carver of Museum Quality. Mere Clubs are highly respected and are family heirlooms , they gain more and more mana (respect & power) as they grow older and win many battles and execute more captives & pass down through generations of custodians. Mere pounamu was considered to be the most valuable of all the greenstone items. They were the main symbol of chieftainship and were extremely valuable to Māori.

Impossible to export out of NZ since Heritage Legislation 1930.