adze
- Museum number
- Oc1887,0207.70
- Description
-
Adze, with blade of dark green stone fixed into a straight handle by means of a rattan band; handle has a pointed end which passes through a second rattan band on the end of the adze handle.
- Production date
- 19thC
- Curator's comments
- The handle is wood - Kaappingbing. Another wood for haft for the blade, he does not know what sort but it is there because it is heavy. It needs to be heavy enough to cut something. It also lengthens the blade which helps the power of the swing in use.
Tsiepie - Cane-binding style. It has to have a very tight weave.
Kanda - cane (t.p.). It would not have to be cane, it could be Kalalai - strong vine.
It used to take two or three days to cut a tree down with one of these.
The stone like this one is from their country. They file them on a kind of stone, like cement (this kind of stone figures in a myth, female tano deity story).
Porer's mother's father used to use such tools. They would have a wooden anvil and would put a vine or something else onto it and have a good swing at it to cut it, otherwise it would not cut.
This kind of tool was used in their area. Every place has these and they are all the same style. There are smaller ones for carving plates.
Porer Nombo and Pinabin Sisau, Reite Village, Madang, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia Project 6 August 2009. Tape 81
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Colonial and Indian Exhibition 1886
- Acquisition date
- 1887
- Acquisition notes
- In 1886, the Queensland Commissioners noted that 'From New Guinea we have made a very good collection, partly by purchase and further, from Mr. W. B. Livesey, who kindly placed his interesting gatherings at our disposal. More recently we have made arrangements with the New Guinea Government for the exhibition in the Queensland court of their very extensive and comprehensive stores of curios, which also embrace models of villages, implements weapons, etc., &c. These, as you are aware, will be taken charge of and arranged by Mr. Hugh Romilly, whom you have gazetted as assistant Commissioner for the purpose (Brisbane Courier 14 April 1886).
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc1887,0207.70
