Nephrite Monkey Pendant

Looks quite recent, doesn’t it?

 

I believe it's Maori and not a monkey. It may also have been carved in China,they have been making Maori type carvings for some time.

 

Yes, it is Maori and not a monkey. It is a Hei Tiki, an ancestral spirit pendant.
This one is the real deal, but not top quality. This quality was sold in New Zealand when I was there in the early 70s, a time when Maori crafts were being revived. The present day ones are much nicer.

 

Here is my Hei Tiki from another thread. Also not top quality, but a true antique, with a beautiful velvety feel. The thread has more info.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/m...-bone-help-with-age-please.16258/#post-225517

 

Thanks, sorry for calling the dude monkey
Real deal, means made by native people vs modern repro?

 

Maori crafts are usually not defined in such a way. But if you were to narrow it down in such terms, it was made by native people as a modern repro.
The early 70s were a period of cultural revival for the Maori. While the old arts were still around, few people had been carving traditional jade items. In the 70s Maori arts and crafts centers and schools were set up.
I bought a Hei Tiki like yours from a new arts school in Rotorua, North Island. Yours could have been made there as well, but I can't say for sure.