A Māori fish-hook pendant, carved from bone or pounamu, New Zealand greenstone. It recalls Māui, who fished the North Island up out of the sea, and stands for safe passage over water and for plenty.
Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.
The hei matau recalls the Māori story of Māui, who fished the North Island up out of the sea. We have not yet found a dated early record of the hook itself.
To verify: A dated record of the hei matau, such as a museum piece or an early published telling of the Māui story, from the sources Wikipedia cites
The hook stands for safe passage over water and for plenty. Hei matau are carved from bone or pounamu, and a hook may be handed down through a family.
To verify: A Māori or museum source for these meanings
The hei matau is a taonga, a Māori treasure. Raw pounamu belongs to Ngāi Tahu under a 1997 Act, and a 2021 order limits its export. We will not copy the hook in our workshop in China: any hei matau we show will come from named Māori makers.
