An old Maori carved pounamu small mere, traditional tapered…
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An old Maori carved pounamu small mere, traditional tapered spatulate blade, the rounded butt with three incised curved bands, drilled hour-glass suspension hole. The bowenite of variable tone with some near clear pale green inclusions. Length 19.5 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.

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  • Bowenite - Bowenite is a semi-precious stone, usually light or dark green, but also found in colors ranging from light yellow, canary yellow, brown, blue and gray. One of the largest deposits is in the South Island of New Zealand, where it was used for tools, weapons and jewellery by the Maori, and known as greenstone and tangiwai. Other deposits are in South Africa and China.
  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.

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