36mm Maori Woolly Mammoth Ivory Humpback Whale #1

NOTE: The Pendant in the Item's Picture/s is the One Your Will Receive. Brand New, Never Used Maori-Designed Replica Pendant With Adjustable Necklace Cord. 100% Natural-Fossilized Siberian Woolly Mammoth Ivory (Not Colored) With Inlaid Abalone Shell and Scrimshawed Accents. Symbolsim (Whale): A Guardian Protector, Wisdom. The Ocean has Always Been the Dominant Force for the Oceania People Who Traveled Huge Distances in Their Long Canoes and Lived on the Bounty of the Tropical Waters. They Had a Great Respect for the Ocean and the Creatures in the Sea and in Particular Dolphins and Whales. The Whale With its Great Size and Obvious Intelligence Played an Important Part in the Culture of the Maori and Throughout Polynesia. They Were Often Represented as an Example of Family Love With Mother and Calf Always Side by Side and Touching at Every Opportunity. Many Whales in an Area Often Meant an Absence of Sharks. The Whale Also Symbolizes Empathy for Conservational Issues, and Strength with Sensitivity. Today, the Whale Represents Protection on all Forms of Transport. Design: New Zealand/Aotearoa Waters Humpback Whale #1; Cutout, Hand-Cut and Hand-Carved, Life-like Textured Detailing, Abalone Shell Inlay, Traditional Lashing, Domed Surface Shape, Hand-Woven Necklace, Smooth Surface Polished Finish, Durable Waxed Twine Adjustable Cord, Beef Cow Bone Closures; Size: Necklace Cord is 26.0" Maximum Length and Downward Size Adjustable to Shorter Lengths as Desired; Weight: Approx. 6.2 grams Total; Mammoth Ivory Grade: AA (Please See Details Below); Measures: Approx. 36mm Widest (Just Under 1 7/16" Widest) X 5.6mm Thickest X 2 1/16" Long. Features: In Maori, the Words “Tohunga Whakairo” Means “Expert Carver”, “Puipuiaki” Means “A Rare Treasure”, “Tuaukiuki” Means “Traditional”, “Kaiaka” Means “Skilled Detailed Craftsmanship”, “Tau ke nei” Means “Alluring”, and “Atanga” Means “Gorgeous”, All of Which Describe This Carved Pendant and Necklace Combination Exactly! This Gorgeous Hand-Carved Woolly Mammoth Ivory Pendant is Crafted With a Smooth, Surface Polished Background. This Labor-Intensive Cutout, Design Features the Whakairo Takaamiomio Paikea Onamata Rei o Tuahuru Arewhana (Maori Curled-Up Humpback Whale Carving Made From Fossilized Ivory of Woolly Mammoth) Pattern. The Whale is Superbly Carved With LIfe-like Textured Detailing, Displaying a Mouth, Inlaid Abalone Shell Eye, Throat Pleats, Tapered and Curve-Contoured Rippled Front Pectoral Fins, Rippled Back, and Tapered Body With Flukes to Enhance the Detailing. The Entire Pendant is Hand-Cut, Hand-Carved and Hand-Shaped Into a Traditional Maori Design Using a Single Piece of Natural, Fossilized Woolly Mammoth Ivory. Intricate Carved Details Are Displayed Throughout the Dome-Shaped Surface Design! This Entirely Natural Ivory Piece Displays a Beautiful Layered Medium-Tan to Caramel-Latte Glossy Patina. The Pendant is Securely Lashed and Mounted Onto a Hand-plaited Polynesian-Style, Khaki-Tan Waxed Nylon Yarn Cord to Accentuate the Overall Appearance. The Adjustable Necklace's Closure is Created With Two, Smooth Round-Shaped Beads and a Smooth, Angled Barrel-Shaped Stopper Each Created From Using Beef Cow Bone. The Reverse Side Displays a Flat-Rounded Shape. About the Maori and Humpback Whales: The Humpback was well known to the early people of Oceania as they are mentioned in many ancient legends, myths, chants, and poetic passages. Whales have an important place in Maori traditions surrounded with a wealth of tribal knowledge. Several tribes tell of the arrival of their ancestor, Paikea, on the back of a whale. Although there is debate as to whether Maori hunted whales, it is clear they regarded stranded whales as a valuable source of meat, and used whale teeth and bones for tools and ornament. While whales provided food and utensils, they are also featured in tribal traditions and were sometimes guardians on the ancestors' canoe journeys to New Zealand or "Aotearoa" in Maori meaning, "Land of the Long White cloud." Oral histories recall interactions between people and whales in tribal stories, carvings, specialized language and place names. Names for the different species of whales vary from tribe to tribe. One of the old terms for whales was ika moana (fish of the sea). They were part of the family known as te whanau puha (the family of animals that expel air). While tohora (or tohoraha) is considered an all-embracing term for whales, it also refers to the southern right whale. There are many tribal versions of the origin of whales. Some say Tangaroa (god of the sea) is the ancestor of sea creatures, while others name Te Puwhakahara, Takaaho and Tinirau as progenitors of whales. Another tradition cites Te Hapuku as the main ancestor of whales, dolphins and seals as well as tree ferns, which are often known as nga ika o te ngahere (the fish of the forest). Whales as kaitiaki (guides) are included in many legends mentioning that whales accompanied or guided the canoes on their journeys to Aotearoa. The song He oriori mo Tuteremoana describes a canoe, believed to be the Takitimu (original ancient Maori ancestors), safely following in the wake of a pod of whales during a storm. Some of the whales are specifically named in this song. The tohunga (priest) on board the Takitimu was Ruawharo. He possessed the mauri (life force) of whales, which he laid to rest at Mahia Peninsula to attract whales to the region. Pane-iraira was a taniwha (water spirit), thought to be a whale, who calmed the waves for the journey of the Tainui canoe (ancient crew members). Tohunga responsible for navigation exercised their powers during storms, appealing to sea creatures to escort the canoes and shield them from the fury of a storm. Often the tohunga would pull a hair from his head and throw it to the whale or taniwha as recognition of assistance. This tradition may have been prompted by the reported habit of toothed whales and dolphins presenting gifts of seaweed to each other. Is Woolly Mammoth Ivory Legal?: Please See Full Details in Our FAQ Section Located Under the Service Page. The sales of mammoth ivory (prehistoric, fossilized, petrified ivory), is NOT ILLEGAL or regulated anywhere on this planet. All of our ivory carvings offered are 100% legal to own, buy, sell and ship within the United States and abroad. The current use of mammoth ivory totally complies with C.I.T.E.S. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of this, Mammoth Ivory is 100% legal internationally without any C.I.T.E.S. permits or other import/export paperwork. Grades of Mammoth Ivory: Similar to graded gemstones, Mammoth Ivory has a graded evaluation given for the various types of quality obtained and used. Ivory material is offered by premium chunk slabs or lower grade scrap pieces. "AA" Grade superb ivory is the very best quality thick slabs, perfectly preserved ivory from the inner most portions of the tusk. AA-Grade ivory has a nicer coloration or outstanding form compared to A-Grade ivory. The ivory displays a light creamy patina color background, has no bark (dark outer tusk surface layer), virtually no cracks and the material has been cured for at least 7-years to maintain its integrity. Quality AA-grade ivory is somewhat rare and in limited supplies with prices continuing to soar upwards as demand increases to obtain these graded slabs. "A" Grade ivory is excellent quality ivory, cured and perfectly preserved from 5-7 years from the inner to upper portions of the inner tusk, showing little or no bark in the slabs, and practically no ring cracking or splitting, with thick flawless areas to work from to some areas with a few minor cracks in the slab that carvers have to work around. The ivory displays a range of gorgeous colors from a medium to dark cream, a golden tan, to a chocolate patina color background. A-Grade ivory is of a premium quality, semi-expensive ivory slab material that most carvers use as a standard since it is useful for all purposes. "B" Grade ivory is fair to good quality ivory, cured and preserved for upwards of 3-years from the very upper portions of the inner tusk to the outside surface layer portions of the tusk. The ivory will display bark, erratic colors and surface textures, splits and ring cracks. Carvers tend to avoid this grade of ivory because of the limited working areas from which they can create their pieces of artwork. B-Grade ivory tends to appeal to those creating small pieces of ivory jewelry such as cutting en cabochon or small inlaid accent works. "C" Grade ivory is of the lowest quality and very affordable ivory available. Typically, C-Grade ivory comes in flat scrap (leftover) pieces and layers, some dark, some cracks, and can have a chalky surface. C-Grade appeals only to those making very small jewelry items or inlays, which is not suitable for any types of carvings, knife handles, or grips. To create the best mammoth carvings, I only offer premium, excellent grade "A" quality Siberian mammoth ivory from Russia, which are perfectly preserved. All of my carvings offered and legal to own, buy, sell and ship within the United States and abroad. The use of mammoth ivory totally complies with C.I.T.E.S. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ivory Care and Cleaning: Please See Our FAQs Section Located Under "Service" on Our Storefront Page. Purchase Assurance of Quality: As Each of These Pendants are Hand-Cut and Hand-Carved Using Natural Fossilized Ivory, Each One is Unique to the Next; There are Slight Variations in the Carving's Appearances, Which is Approximately Represented in the Item's Picture. The Item's Picture Provides All the Main Appearance Characteristics that is Provided in Each Pendant Purchased. Makes a Great Gift or Treat Yourself to Start or Add to Your Collection of Fine Traditional Maori Replicated Jewelry. Certain High-Value Items Will Have Required Shipping Insurance to Protect Your Order’s Cost Value Against Shipping That is Lost, Stolen or Damaged by Others and Will Already Be Included in the FLAT Rate Shipping Cost. Please Understand We Should Not Be Held Responsible For Delivery Time Once Your Order Has Shipped as We Are Not the Individuals Delivering Your Package. We Ship Twice a Week on Wednesdays and Saturdays; and Daily During Traditional or Honoring Observance Holidays and the Christmas Shopping Season. USPS Express Delivery (2-Days Guaranteed) From Hawai`i for All U.S. Addresses.

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