Wood & Stone Adze

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A fine example of a wood and stone chopping adze, a tool primarily used for shaping and carving wood. The adze features a wooden handle and a naturally forked or "T" shaped head with a slotted tip. The stone blade head is secured within the hafting slot on the arm and secured with wrapped rattan strips. Adzes were some of the most important tools in Polynesia and Melanesia given their unfamiliarity with forging metal. The native hardwood provided for sturdy tools that lasted sometimes for generations, and the sharp blades could be easily replaced given the abundance of stones! Size: 14" L x 9" W (35.6 cm x 22.9 cm) 

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection