Ipu Manaia Parirau

Kei te whakatōpū a Manos Nathan i tōna Kirīhitanga me tōna Māoritanga hei whakamātau, hei hanga i ngā āhua uku. Ko ngā kakau-kakī, ko te puku whānui me te taumaha, ko te waha pīrahirahi, ko te waewae kōekoeko, o Ipu Manaia Parirau, 2004, he tohutoro i te āhua o te ipu Greek Amphora, he ipu māori noa i te Mediterranean. Kei tēnei ipu niko kua mahia ā-ringa, he kakau e noho ānō nei he parirau. Ko aua kakau he manaia kua whakairohia ānō nei he manu. Ko te manaia he tohu e whakamahia nuitia ai i roto i te whakairo Māori; ka noho te manaia ki waenganui i te ao tangata me te ao wairua – i konei kua tū ki a Papatūānuku, ka tū ōna parirau ki a Ranginui.

Manos Nathan combines his Greek and Māori heritage in his exploration and creation of uku (clay) forms. With its neck-handles, broad top-heavy belly, narrow mouth and tapered foot Ipu Manaia Parirau, 2004 references the Greek Amphora vessel shape, a standard transport container of the Mediterranean. This hand-built coiled pot has handles which sit like wings. The handles are carved manaia (intermediary beings) in the form of birds. A common motif in Māori carving, the manaia is understood to sit between earthly and spiritual worlds, and here we see it connected to the earth with wings rising upwards towards the sky.

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