Description:

North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact period, ca. 14th to 18th century CE. This is a fabulous example of a basalt stone adze head that was probably quarried from Mauna Kea, Hawaii, then hand pecked and polished into a tool. The stone was flaked into a rectangular but slightly curved blade that has a sharpened cutting edge, and a thick butt end - perfect for cutting, smoothing, and carving wood. This adze head would have been attached to a bent wooden handle and used by swinging in a downward cutting motion - these important tools were used to shape everything from canoes to idols. Hawaiians sought basalt specifically because of its hardness and because it would hold an edge. Size: 7.75" L x 2.75" W (19.7 cm x 7 cm)

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#160900

  • Condition: Older losses and chips to blade and polished faces commensurate with age and use. Heavy red mineral encrustations on the surface as shown. Old inventory label on surface.

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February 24, 2022 10:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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