Description:

North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 18th century CE or earlier. A lovely adze blade of utilitarian form that is hand-carved from dark brown-black basalt. The trapezoidal tool features a thick body, a gently tapered butt end, and a gradually sloped blade face with a relatively sharp edge beneath. The smoothness atop the blade face suggests this tool was heavily used for shaping softer substances like wood or mud bricks. 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: 6.875" L x 2.6" W (17.5 cm x 6.6 cm)

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#160901

  • Condition: Chips, nicks, and abrasions to butt end, body, and blade head commensurate with age and use, with light encrustations within some recessed areas, and minor roughness to surfaces of butt end. Great surface smoothness in most areas. Old inventory label on one side of body.

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

Artemis Fine Arts

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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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