North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact era, ca. 18th century CE or earlier. A hefty stone adze blade of a utilitarian form that is hand-carved from dark gray hardstone. The sizable tool features a thick body, a tapered blade head with an acutely angled edge, and a rectangular tang that juts out from the backside. The head exhibits incredibly smooth textures that, along with the chipped surfaces of the blade and body, indicate heavy utilitarian use when it was attached to a wooden pole. Adzes are called "ko'i" in Polynesia, and it seems they were traded widely; indeed, axes from Hawaii have been found thousands of miles away in what is now French Polynesia, demonstrating the incredible skill of Polynesian navigators. Size: 8.75" L x 2.125" W (22.2 cm x 5.4 cm)
Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection
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#161895
Condition
Chipping and abrasions commensurate with age and use, with light encrustations within some chipped areas, otherwise intact and very good. Great surface smoothness across head. Old inventory label on one side of blade head.