A ''hei matau'' is a

bone A bone is a Stiffness, rigid Organ (biology), organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white blood cells, store minerals, provid ...

or greenstone carving in the shape of a highly stylised

fish hook A fish hook or fishhook, formerly also called angle (from Old English ''angol'' and Proto-Germanic ''*angulaz''), is a hook used to catch fish either by piercing and embedding onto the inside of the fish mouth (angling) or, more rarely, by impa ...

. They represent good luck and safe travel across water.

Meaning

The fish-hook shape of the ''hei matau'' means to know, which holds that the

North 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-largest ...

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 count ...

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, which ...

using only a woven line and a hook made from the jawbone of his grandmother. Legend holds that the shape of

Hawkes Bay Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...

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 ''Taonga'' or ''taoka'' (in South Island Māori) is a Maori-language word that refers to a treasured possession in Māori culture. It lacks a direct translation into English, making its use in the Treaty of Waitangi significant. The current d ...

(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 as ...

god of the sea.

Materials and methods

Traditionally, ''matau'', or fishhooks, were carved from bone, ivory, shell, wood, or

pounamu Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in southern New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture. Name The Māori word , also used ...

; 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 A circle hook is a type of fish hook which is sharply curved back in a circular shape. It has become widely used among anglers in recent years because the hook generally catches more fish and is rarely swallowed. Since the circle hook catches t ...

File:MAP Expo Maori Hameçon 13012012 04.jpg, Wood and paua shell matau, with the iridescent shell forming an integrated lure

Mass production

Manufacturers in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

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.

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

Meaning

Materials and methods

Mass production

See also

References

External links