Large 27cm Ngai Tahu Greenstone Mere Large 27cm Ngai Tahu Greenstone Mere
This 27cm Maori Greenstone Mere club is carved from genuine Ngai Tahu Pounamu, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The certificate details the piece of raw stone your carving came from, information on the carvers, what type of greenstone it is made from, and where the greenstone came from.
The South Island of New Zealand (Maori name Te Waipounamu - the Greenstone Isle), is the only place where NZ greenstone (pounamu) is found. The stone is a taonga (treasure) to Ngai Tahu, and in particular the people of Te Tai o Poutini, the West Coast of the South Island, where most greenstone is found and carved.
The stone began its journey millions of years ago, as the mountains of Te Waipounamu formed over time, pushing narrow bands of pounamu filled earth to the surface. From here, the movement of rivers and glaciers broke pieces of pounamu away from its host rock.
The stone used for this mere is called Hapopo. Its colour ranges from medium green to a dark forest green, and it has a characteristic mottled appearance. The name originates from Ka Umu o Hapopo (Big Bay), located in South Westland. The last photo gives you an idea of the variation possible in the stone.
The mere has a matt finish, so you can experience the stone as naturally as possible. It is approximately 27cm (10 1/2") long and hangs from a plaited cord. It comes with a certificate of authenticity that has a unique code. When you receive your mere you will be able to enter that unique code at a website, where you will see a photo of the stone it came from and will be able to read about the stone's origins and carvers.
Mere were used as a thrusting club, particularly to attack the victim's temple or under his ribs. The pounamu ( greenstone) mere has always been highly prized, because of its scarcity and the amount of work required to make it. It was usually only carried by chiefs, and was a highly prized ceremonial piece.
Now you get to own one. Treasure it, and hand it down through the generations.
Purchase the mere on its own, or on a stand, or on an engraved stand. If you want an engraved plaque, choose up to 5 words, choose the engraved option, then enter the words in the box provided. Please note that engraved options cannot be returned, except in the unlikely event that we get the engraving wording wrong.
Shipped worldwide. Please note that we will not ship this taonga by Airmail or Tracked Airmail overseas, as those options are not insured. Please choose either Economy Courier or Express Courier.
Covid continues to impact our shipping times, so this is a guide only. We do not accept any responsibility for how long shippers take to deliver, as it is beyond our control. These are approximate timelines for how long parcels take to get to their destinations currently.
| Country | Airmail | Tracked Airmail | Economy Courier | Express Courier |
| Australia - ACT, VIC, QLD, NSW | up to 5 weeks | 3-4 weeks | 2 weeks | 7 days (faster to major metro areas) |
| Australia - SA, WA, NT, TAS | 5-6 weeks | 4-5 weeks | 3 weeks | 10 days |
| USA and UK | 4 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 10 days |
7 days |
| Europe and Asia | 6-7 weeks | 4 weeks | 3 weeks | 10 days |
| South America | Minimum 3 months | Minimum 3 months | 4-5 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Rest of World | Variable | Variable | 3-5 weeks |
2 weeks |
| New Zealand | up to a week (only used for items sent in an envelope - iron on patches and cords without toggles) | Courier: North Island overnight, South Island 1-2 days Rural: add a day |
|
Shipping Types
International
Airmail
Standard Airmail shipping around the world. Not insured or tracked. If an airmail parcel goes missing we will do our best to work with shippers to find it, but shipping this way is at your own risk. The likelihood of an airmail parcel going missing is very low.
Tracked Airmail
Airmail shipping around the world, with the added bonus of basic tracking (shipped, arrival in destination country, delivery). Not insured. Shipping this way is at your own risk - there is no compensation if the parcel goes missing. However the likelihood of a tracked parcel going missing is very low.
Economy Courier
Priority shipping around the world, delivered by your local postal authority. Can ship to a PO Box. Insured and comprehensive tracking.
Express Courier
The fastest courier option, using couriers including DHL, Fedex and TNT. Insured and comprehensive tracking. Cannot be used to deliver to PO Boxes, and must be signed for.
New Zealand
Courier within New Zealand
We use both Courierpost and NZ Couriers.
Airmail - only used for items sold with shipping included, mostly plain cords and iron on patches. Shipped using NZ Post.
Pick Up From Store
Only available for those who can pick up from Whangarei within 24-48 hours after the order has been prepared. We will contact you when your order is ready to be picked up. Pick up hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and the address is 12 Pahau Ave, Tikipunga, Whangarei. Come down right hand side of building to first door.
Order Processing Times
Allow 1 business day for an order to be processed, and 1 business day for packing. If an item has temporarily gone out of stock, re-stocking most often takes 2 days but can be up to 2 weeks. We will contact you regarding any major delays.
We ship from Whangarei, New Zealand. When you place your order online, an email confirmation is sent to you. If you cannot see it in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folders, in case your email provider has inadvertently put it there. Please check your confirmation email carefully to make sure you have correctly entered your address and that of the recipient (if you are sending elsewhere). We do not accept any responsibility for errors in the address. If a parcel is returned, we will re-ship if you pay the shipping charge again, or refund you for the goods (only).
You will receive a notification when we ship, which in most cases will include tracking information.
Taxes
Your international order (anything shipped outside New Zealand) may be subject to import duties and taxes, including VAT, which are incurred once your shipment reaches your destination country. ShopNZ is not responsible for these charges if they are applied, and are your responsibility as the customer.
For the UK and Europe, we are gradually being forced to collect VAT on small shipments before shipping, which will means nothing needs to be paid at your end. Your order will show if we have collected VAT on your behalf.
Covid continues to impact our shipping times, so this is a guide only. We do not accept any responsibility for how long shippers take to deliver, as it is beyond our control. These are approximate timelines for how long parcels take to get to their destinations currently.
| Country | Airmail | Tracked Airmail | Economy Courier | Express Courier |
| Australia - ACT, VIC, QLD, NSW | up to 5 weeks | 3-4 weeks | 2 weeks | 7 days (faster to major metro areas) |
| Australia - SA, WA, NT, TAS | 5-6 weeks | 4-5 weeks | 3 weeks | 10 days |
| USA and UK | 4 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 10 days |
7 days |
| Europe and Asia | 6-7 weeks | 4 weeks | 3 weeks | 10 days |
| South America | Minimum 3 months | Minimum 3 months | 4-5 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Rest of World | Variable | Variable | 3-5 weeks |
2 weeks |
| New Zealand | up to a week (only used for items sent in an envelope - iron on patches and cords without toggles) | Courier: North Island overnight, South Island 1-2 days Rural: add a day |
|
Shipping Types
International
Airmail
Standard Airmail shipping around the world. Not insured or tracked. If an airmail parcel goes missing we will do our best to work with shippers to find it, but shipping this way is at your own risk. The likelihood of an airmail parcel going missing is very low.
Tracked Airmail
Airmail shipping around the world, with the added bonus of basic tracking (shipped, arrival in destination country, delivery). Not insured. Shipping this way is at your own risk - there is no compensation if the parcel goes missing. However the likelihood of a tracked parcel going missing is very low.
Economy Courier
Priority shipping around the world, delivered by your local postal authority. Can ship to a PO Box. Insured and comprehensive tracking.
Express Courier
The fastest courier option, using couriers including DHL, Fedex and TNT. Insured and comprehensive tracking. Cannot be used to deliver to PO Boxes, and must be signed for.
New Zealand
Courier within New Zealand
We use both Courierpost and NZ Couriers.
Airmail - only used for items sold with shipping included, mostly plain cords and iron on patches. Shipped using NZ Post.
Pick Up From Store
Only available for those who can pick up from Whangarei within 24-48 hours after the order has been prepared. We will contact you when your order is ready to be picked up. Pick up hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and the address is 12 Pahau Ave, Tikipunga, Whangarei. Come down right hand side of building to first door.
Order Processing Times
Allow 1 business day for an order to be processed, and 1 business day for packing. If an item has temporarily gone out of stock, re-stocking most often takes 2 days but can be up to 2 weeks. We will contact you regarding any major delays.
We ship from Whangarei, New Zealand. When you place your order online, an email confirmation is sent to you. If you cannot see it in your inbox, please check your spam or junk folders, in case your email provider has inadvertently put it there. Please check your confirmation email carefully to make sure you have correctly entered your address and that of the recipient (if you are sending elsewhere). We do not accept any responsibility for errors in the address. If a parcel is returned, we will re-ship if you pay the shipping charge again, or refund you for the goods (only).
You will receive a notification when we ship, which in most cases will include tracking information.
Taxes
Your international order (anything shipped outside New Zealand) may be subject to import duties and taxes, including VAT, which are incurred once your shipment reaches your destination country. ShopNZ is not responsible for these charges if they are applied, and are your responsibility as the customer.
For the UK and Europe, we are gradually being forced to collect VAT on small shipments before shipping, which will means nothing needs to be paid at your end. Your order will show if we have collected VAT on your behalf.
