A pair of Early Native Tribal South Oceanic Ceremonial decorated Adze

An adze is a cutting tool similar to an axe but with a cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Prehistoric Māori adzes from New Zealand, used for wood carving, were made from nephrite (also known as jade). In the North Island, they were commonly made from greywacke or basalt. At the same time, on Henderson Island, a small coral island in eastern Polynesia lacking any rock other than limestone, natives may have fashioned giant clamshells into adzes. These two adzes are made of a wooden shaft and both decorated with carved abstract motives. They end in an axe-like tool at the top. The two parts of the adzes are held together by a leather cloth and mud. One has a shaft made out of two shades of wood. The bottom half starts with a more reddish and light brown tint and is decorated with abstract motives covering the handle. The upper part of the shaft is less round and is not illustrated but relatively smooth. The colour is dark brown. The other has a monochrome shaft in light brown. The condition of both adzes is still excellent.