Mid-19th century or earlier
Nephrite jade blade, wood handle, fiber binding
Height: 12½ in (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Tom Hurst, London; William Ohly (1883–1955), Berkeley Galleries, London, and Abbey Museum, Hertfordshire, UK
Adzes from New Caledonia were among the most valued objects in Kanak material culture, with nephrite blades signaling both technical accomplishment and the prestige of their owner. The stone was quarried and worked with considerable effort, nephrite being one of the harder materials available to Pacific craftsmen, and finished blades were traded and exchanged across the island. Objects that passed through William Ohly's Berkeley Galleries carry a significant collecting history, Ohly having been among the first dealers in Britain to treat Pacific material as objects of serious cultural and aesthetic standing.
The blade retains its original binding, lashing the nephrite to the shaped wood handle with fiber that has remained intact. The handle shows the wear and patina consistent with age and use, darkened along its length in a manner that speaks to long handling. The combination of nephrite blade, original lashing, and intact handle makes this a complete and coherent example of the form.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.E
Mid-19th century or earlier
Nephrite jade blade, wood handle, fiber binding
Height: 12½ in (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Tom Hurst, London; William Ohly (1883–1955), Berkeley Galleries, London, and Abbey Museum, Hertfordshire, UK
Adzes from New Caledonia were among the most valued objects in Kanak material culture, with nephrite blades signaling both technical accomplishment and the prestige of their owner. The stone was quarried and worked with considerable effort, nephrite being one of the harder materials available to Pacific craftsmen, and finished blades were traded and exchanged across the island. Objects that passed through William Ohly's Berkeley Galleries carry a significant collecting history, Ohly having been among the first dealers in Britain to treat Pacific material as objects of serious cultural and aesthetic standing.
The blade retains its original binding, lashing the nephrite to the shaped wood handle with fiber that has remained intact. The handle shows the wear and patina consistent with age and use, darkened along its length in a manner that speaks to long handling. The combination of nephrite blade, original lashing, and intact handle makes this a complete and coherent example of the form.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.E
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