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A ''hei matau'' is a
Traditionally, ''matau'', or fishhooks, were carved from bone, ivory, shell, wood, or pounamu; composite hooks were also common. They came in several different forms. There are multiple apparently functional matau forms, but the functions of some are not known. Some were plain and utilitarian; others highly ornate. They were worn as pendants for safekeeping, and were often treasured family heirlooms.
Today, their main use is ornamental and they are commonly worn around the neck not only by Māori, but also by other New Zealanders who identify with the ''hei matau'' as a symbol of New Zealand. They are also popular items on the tourist market. Many modern pendants are not functional fish hooks.
In contemporary times, ''hei matau'' are commonly carved from cattle bone. Some Māori carvers continue to use whale bone, and such pieces are highly valued not only because of the beauty of whale bone and its cultural and historical significance, but also its scarcity. Current laws against hunting whales mean that Māori bone-carvers who carve in whale bone must use a combination of ancient standings or pre-existing supplies, or bones from whales that have recently beached. According to New Zealand tradition and law, Māori have first claim on part of the skeletons of any whales which strand and cannot be refloated. This is, however, a very limited supply.
File:MAP Expo Maori Hameçon 13012012 4.jpg, Bone matau, a functional circle fishhook
File:MAP Expo Maori Hameçon 13012012 04.jpg, Wood and paua shell matau, with the iridescent shell forming an integrated lure
''Hei matau'' in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New Zealand culture Māori art
bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
or greenstone carving in the shape of a highly stylised fish hook. They represent good luck and safe travel across water.
Meaning
The fish-hook shape of the ''hei matau'' means to know, which holds that theNorth Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...
of New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
was once a huge fish that was caught by the great mariner Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, whic ...
using only a woven line and a hook made from the jawbone of his grandmother. Legend holds that the shape of Hawkes Bay is that of the hei matau, which caught in the fish's side on the beach. The Māori name for the North island, ''Te Ika a Maui'' ("The fish of Maui") reflects this legend.
For the Māori, the ''hei matau'' is taonga (a cultural treasure). It represents not only their land, but also prosperity, fertility, and safe passage over water. They also denote the importance of fishing to Māori, and their relationship to Tangaroa
Tangaroa (Takaroa in the South Island) is the great of the sea, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live within them, especially fish, in Māori mythology. As Tangaroa-whakamau-tai he exercises control over the tides. He is sometimes depicted a ...
god of the sea.
Materials and methods
Traditionally, ''matau'', or fishhooks, were carved from bone, ivory, shell, wood, or pounamu; composite hooks were also common. They came in several different forms. There are multiple apparently functional matau forms, but the functions of some are not known. Some were plain and utilitarian; others highly ornate. They were worn as pendants for safekeeping, and were often treasured family heirlooms.
Today, their main use is ornamental and they are commonly worn around the neck not only by Māori, but also by other New Zealanders who identify with the ''hei matau'' as a symbol of New Zealand. They are also popular items on the tourist market. Many modern pendants are not functional fish hooks.
In contemporary times, ''hei matau'' are commonly carved from cattle bone. Some Māori carvers continue to use whale bone, and such pieces are highly valued not only because of the beauty of whale bone and its cultural and historical significance, but also its scarcity. Current laws against hunting whales mean that Māori bone-carvers who carve in whale bone must use a combination of ancient standings or pre-existing supplies, or bones from whales that have recently beached. According to New Zealand tradition and law, Māori have first claim on part of the skeletons of any whales which strand and cannot be refloated. This is, however, a very limited supply.
Mass production
Manufacturers inChina
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
mass-produce items resembling ''hei matau'' for sale on the New Zealand tourist market. These are usually made of a paste of bone and resin. Such manufacturers have attracted criticism for their appropriation of Māori designs.
See also
*Hei-tiki
The hei-tiki () is an ornamental pendant of the Māori of New Zealand. Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu ( greenstone), and are considered a taonga (treasure) by Māori. They are commonly called '' tiki'' by New Zealanders, a term that o ...
*Manaia (mythological creature)
The Manaia is a mythological creature in Māori culture, and is a common motif in Māori carving and jewellery.
The Manaia is usually depicted as having the head of a bird and the tail of a fish and the body of a man, though it is sometimes dep ...
References
External links
{{Commons category, Hei matau''Hei matau'' in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
New Zealand culture Māori art