A very small carvers adze, or to’i. An adze of this delicate size would be used for the finishing touch when carving refined or decorated objects. The stone blade, while of the hardest basalt, was constantly in need of sharpening which was done on a whetstone with water. Following the introduction of metal in the late 18th century stone-blade adzes fast disappeared into the trunks of visitors to be replaced with steel blades. This was so sudden and rapid that by Cooks third voyage in 1776/1780 they are reported to be rare and difficult to obtain in the Society Islands. This example shows the classical Tahitian enlarged “heel“ at the rear of the blade. There is no explication for this except it perhaps provides balance.

Society Islands (Tahiti), Polynesia. Basalt, wood (probably Breadfruit tree) and coconut fiber.

36,5 x 13,5 x 4 cm. 18th century or earlier.

Ref. : Hauser-Schaublin, B. & Krüger, G. (ed.) : JAMES COOK – Gifts and Treasures from the South Seas, The Cook/Forster Collection, Gottingen. Prestel, Munich/New York, 1998.