The Greenstone Shop
NZ Onewa Basalt Patu Muka (AW872)
Stunning, locally carved NZ Basalt Patu Muka, or flax pounder. Patu means to hit or strike. Muka is the fibre from the harakeke leaves.
The patu muka (flax pounder) was used to pound the inner fibres of the harakeke. Harakeke had numerous uses including clothing, hunting, mats, plates, ropes, baskets, fishing lines, fishing nets and medicine.
Muka was the primary fibre used for weaving clothing, and was also used for making ropes and cords. Prepared by scraping, pounding and washing, it is a key material in Māori traditional textiles where it is also used in tāniko or twined weaving.
Measurements:
201 mm length
67 mm width
45 mm depth
This will be the exact piece you will receive in the photos, there may be a slight degree of colour variation based on different computer or mobile phone screen resolutions that you are viewing from.
BEHIND POUNAMU
Pounamu is so much more than a stone. It holds Wairua (spiritual essence) through its association with the land and its beauty. Each piece lends strength and well-being to the wearer, making it a true gift from the heart. Over time, Pounamu absorbs its owners' natural oils and takes on a beautiful lustre. It is then that the stone's essence becomes one with your own and the stone has truly chosen you.
We love the Pounamu we purchased from these guys and really appreciate how they replaced the cord for us a year later.
HEIRLOOM GUARANTEE
Your Pounamu should last you a lifetime - and more. Pounamu is said to increase in mana as it is passed on through generations. We guarantee that any Greenstone Shop piece will survive to become an heirloom piece, spreading its mana throughout your whanau if it is well cared for, loved and respected.