Half face manaia with full body

'WHAKAPAPA'
This piece is carved out of Heart Totara. As with all my pieces, it has many stories, one of which is the story of two brothers, Tanemahuta and Tangaroa. Without these two Atua there would be no mahi whakairo. Tanemahuta is the god of the forests, and therefore is where the Rakau (wood) comes from, so he is represented on the top half of the main Manaia. With two smaller Centipede like Manaia on either side of his face. the bottom half is representing Tangaroa, which (to some iwi) without whom we would have no carving. The lower half of the main Manaia has a tail instead of legs and feet.