North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 14th to 18th century CE. A sizable and hefty adze (adz) blade of an elongated trapezoidal form made to be used for cutting, carving, and smoothing wood. The dark gray-brown stone creates a visible richness to the tool that is further accentuated with its lustrous blade surfaces. The tool features a broad head with a relatively sharp edge, planar lateral walls, and a slightly tapered tang that would be bound to the top of a wooden adze handle with lengths of rattan fibers. Adzes are called "ko'i" in Polynesia and were traded widely across various island groups. Indeed, axes from Hawaii have been found thousands of miles away in what is now French Polynesia, demonstrating the incredible skill of Polynesian navigators and their tenacity to find the best, hardest stones for knapping into adze blades like this example. Size: 9.375" L x 2.75" W (23.8 cm x 7 cm)

The Adz Quarry at Mauna Kea is the largest primitive rock quarry in the world, used from around 1000 CE, with intensification of use around 1400 CE (the Hawaiian Islands were settled by seafaring Polynesians around 300 to 600 CE). The vast area includes quarries - both at surface and sub-surface - as well as workshops, living quarters, and religious shrines. Most of these are located between 11,000 and 12,400 feet in elevation. There were only a few other basalt adze quarries in the archipelago - all major locations in the ancient Hawaiian landscape. Hawaiians sought basalt specifically because of its hardness and because it would hold an edge. Adzes were incredibly important tools, used to shape everything from canoes to idols.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection; ex-Jo De Buck Tribal Arts, Brussels, Belgium

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#160931

Chips and nicks to blade, edge, underside, and tang, with light encrustations within some recessed areas, and scattered moss-colored deposits mostly along underside, otherwise intact and excellent. Wonderful surface smoothness along blade head. Old label adhesive residue visible on obverse face of blade head.