19th C. Papua New Guinea Stone, Wood & Rattan Adze

**Originally Listed At $200**

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River Basin, Iryan Jaya region, ca. 19th century CE. An elegant adze featuring a hand-carved wooden handle and flat stone head wrapped tightly in vegetal reeds. Enveloped in a rich hue of dark brown, the long handle is smoothly carved into a graceful curve that tapers to a point at its base. The light grey head projects at an acute angle from the handle, skillfully bound by woven reeds of beige at one end and sculpted to a rounded tip with a sharp edge at the other. Adzes like this example are traditionally given as gifts and are widely used throughout Papua New Guinea for all manner of crafting and carving projects, such as dugout canoes and wooden sculptures. Size: 9.4" L x 20.5" H (23.9 cm x 52.1 cm); 21.25" H (54 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: ex-private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection

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.

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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.

#124832
Condition Report: Very slight bending to overall form of wooden handle, with light abrasions to stone blade, and loosening to a couple of rattan fibers on head, otherwise intact and very good. Nice patina to handle.