Pāua Shell in “Bed of Harakeke”
On Backorder – Paua Shell in “Bed of Harakeke”
$80.00 incl. GST
Out of stock
Out of stock
Description
Pāua Shell in “Bed of Harakeke”
Pāua is the Māori name given to three New Zealand species of large edible sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs that belong to the family Haliotidae, known in the United States and Australia as abalone, and in the United Kingdom as ormer shells.
While paua sits within the abalone family, which is found in other parts of the world, namely, South America, Australia, Western North America, and Japan, paua’s hidden, multi-coloured interior shell is only found in New Zealand.
The intricate layers of blues, greens, pinks, and mauves found in paua result from its unique diet; these deep-sea jewels feast on brown and red algae and bladder kelp, contributing to its uniquely colourful shell.
There are regional variations in paua shells in both colour and thickness, and the depth and composition of colours depend on diet and environmental factors.
Chatham Island paua tends to have more incandescent blues than in other parts of New Zealand, and the shell is thinner as they grow faster. In colder waters such as Kaikoura, Fiordland, and Stewart Island paua grow more slowly, making the shell thicker.
They are very decorative and have traditionally been used as such in many different ways.
Paua is considered taonga and treasured for its meat and luminous shell, which is used across traditional and modern Māori art. The shell is frequently used for the eyes of Māori carvings and is traditionally associated with the stars or whetū, the symbolic eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.
I am using Harakeke (NZ flax/phormium tenax) to “encase” these whole shells to make them into something different. These can be used as stand-alone decorations for a table or even wall or to keep small objects in them (jewelry, beads), or perhaps for nuts on a coffee table. The possibilities for usage for these are literally endless.
If you are ordering from Overseas, please contact us for shipping costs BEFORE placing your order!
Additional information
| Weight | 0.5 kg |
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