HEI MATAU

Hei - to suspend or wear from the neck
Matau - hook
An uncommon neck ornament was the stylised Maori fish hook known as the hei-matau, matau meaning hook.

It was made in many different styles from bone or nephrite and, like the hei-matau is a superb example of Maori art in that it combines fish hook and fish motif in one simple design. It also incorporates the physical attributes of jade with the Maori mythical understanding of this material. It is believed that the hei-matau and many other fish-like amulets, more common in the south, may have been worn as talismans during fishing expeditions.

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