Fruit pandanus axe
Maker
Unknown Maker
Description
In 1974 Waikato Museum acquired a selection of items, including this axe, from Graham Jackson. Jackson was a New Zealand anthropologist who spent time living with and researching the Kopon and the Kalam people of the Lower Kaironk Valley in Papua New Guinea.
Jackson fieldnotes: The biggest was hafted to sell to me, the other two were in use. They are used in conjunction with bone knives to remove the pith from fruit pandanus before cooking. Other uses are unknown. Stone 'adze' hafted to a small wooden handle with split rattan vine. Manufactured and used only by men.
On one side of the wooden handle at the top is a shaped wooden head, and at the other an opening where the stone head slots between two pieces of wood. Stone head has become detached from handle. Top of axe is bound with natural fibre lashings.
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Object detail
Part 2 - 135 x 40 x 20mm - LxWxD
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