A set of four toki.
Type 2A, stone adze made of black argillite. Surface markings show evidence of flaking and bruising techniques on upper side, smooth underside and cutting edge.
A type 2A stone adze, quadrangular in shape and very smooth with symmetrical sides. No signs of flaking. There is a chip on the cutting edge lefthand side.
Type 2 stone adze speckled marble green serpentine stone (Dolerite) in form with curved cutting edge, very smooth with no sign of flaking. Weight 575grams.
A type 2A stone adze, quadrangular in shape and very smooth with symmetrical sides. No signs of flaking. Minor chips along cutting edge, evidence of technique used to cut the stone on right hand edge. This particular example shows evidence of the method used to cut the stone.
The most important tools for the early Maori were adzes (toki). These stone adze heads were lashed to a wooden handle and used in working wood, including canoe building.This early adze has a well-defined butt/toe end to allow grip for lashing to a handle. The majority were made from basalt or other hard rock, such as adzite. This is a very tough, fine-grained metamorphic rock, also called baked argillite or greywacke, which is hard sandstone.
date: 1700
subject area: Maori, Social Science, Technology, The Arts
subject themes: New Zealand, Maori, Tools
handling collection number: HC43
why not get your hands on these... Mahe HC84, Patu Muka HC83, Piupiu HC156