Rare Ancient Hawaiian Basalt Adze

**Originally Listed At $250**

Oceania / Polynesia, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 1400 CE. A heavy grey basalt adz (adze), quarried from Mauna Kea, Hawaii, hand-knapped, made to be used for cutting, smoothing, and carving wood. The surface has attained a beautiful, glossy patina. 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. Adzes are called "ko'i" in Polynesia, and they seem to have been 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: 2.1" W x 6.1" H (5.3 cm x 15.5 cm)

Provenance: private Chicago, Illinois, USA collection; ex-Leo Fortress collection, acquired in the 1950s to 1960s

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#128358
Condition Report: Encrustations over the entire surface. Old collection sticker on one side.