Name/Title

Argillite adze

About this object

Argillite adze. A very large and impressive Type 1A adze (after Duff 1956)* in Archaic or early East Polynesian style. It is manufactured from metasomatized argillite. Early Maori accessed and quarried sources of this fine-grained stone, which was highly sought after for tool making, from the Nelson area and D’Urville Island and from Riverton in Southland. The adze is of quadrangular cross section with the grip for hafting formed by the angling of the butt. The front of the butt is hammer dressed to aid in binding to a wooden handle, with the sides of the butt polished and the back still showing flake scars with some hammer dressing. The front is smoothly ground as is the bevel and cutting edge on the back. There is some chipping and flaking damage on the cutting edge. The flaked back surface shows some smoothing caused by the rubbing of the stone against the wood of the haft. Used for woodworking, often in hollowing out of canoes, or cutting down large trees.

Maker

Unknown

Maker Role

Tool maker

Date Made

Unkown

Place Made

Unknown

Medium and Materials

Argillite

Measurements

H 45mm x L 320mm x W 90mm.

Subject and Association Keywords

Tools

Subject and Association Keywords

Argillite

Subject and Association Keywords

Maori associations

Named Collection

From the Collection donated by the Paul Crump Family Trust, 7 April 2021

Credit Line

From the collection of the Cromwell Museum

Object Type

Tools

Object number

CR2021.043.9

Rights

All rights reserved