Māori, New Zealand, North Island
18th century or earlier
Stone
Height: 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm)
Provenance: London trade
The toki, or adze blade, was the primary woodworking tool in pre-contact Māori society, used for felling trees, shaping timber, and carving waka, or canoes, as well as structural elements of buildings. Stone adze blades were produced across the North Island from locally sourced materials worked into blades of varying size and refinement. This example dates to the eighteenth century or earlier and entered the market through the London trade.
The blade is ground to a long, tapering rectangular form with a flattened cross-section and a working edge at the broad lower end shaped for horizontal hafting. The surface is smooth and even across the body with no evidence of later alteration. The piece is mounted on a custom ebonized wood base for display.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Māori, New Zealand, North Island
18th century or earlier
Stone
Height: 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm)
Provenance: London trade
The toki, or adze blade, was the primary woodworking tool in pre-contact Māori society, used for felling trees, shaping timber, and carving waka, or canoes, as well as structural elements of buildings. Stone adze blades were produced across the North Island from locally sourced materials worked into blades of varying size and refinement. This example dates to the eighteenth century or earlier and entered the market through the London trade.
The blade is ground to a long, tapering rectangular form with a flattened cross-section and a working edge at the broad lower end shaped for horizontal hafting. The surface is smooth and even across the body with no evidence of later alteration. The piece is mounted on a custom ebonized wood base for display.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
