Lot 343
19th C. Cook Islands Ceremonial Adze (Toki / Ruatangaeo)
19th C. Cook Islands Ceremonial Adze (Toki / Ruatangaeo)
Starting Bid: $1,500
(0 Bids)
Mangaia Island, Cook Islands, South Pacific, mid 19th century. Southern Cook Islands, South Pacific. Hardwood, basalt, sinnet lashing. Among the most iconic works produced anywhere in the Pacific, the ceremonial adze of Mangaia Island stands alone as an object of concentrated spiritual authority and technical brilliance. This monumental example embodies the ta'unga's art — the master carver whose skill commanded wealth and prestige in the hierarchical world of Mangaian society. The shaft rises from a broad rectangular base through a dramatically tapering pedestal form, its entire surface animated by the signature Mangaian triple-triangle geometric relief: thousands of hand-cut incisions executed with extraordinary precision, each zone distinct in rhythm yet unified by the relentless density of the ornamental program. Crowning the shaft, sinnet lashing in the traditional plaited technique secures a finely polished black basalt blade, its dark stone reading as deliberate counterpoint to the warm, aged wood below.
This was not a working tool. It was an embodiment of Tane-Mata-Ariki, divine patron of carpentry, invoked at the investiture of high chiefs and wielded as an instrument of political authority. Museum examples are held in the Royal Collection (London), Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington), and the British Museum — confirming the category's institutional significance. Pieces of this scale and carving quality are exceedingly rare in private hands. Size: 18”H (45.7cm).
Provenance: Ex. Henry Wellcome Collection, R3881-1936, ex. Harry Franklin Collection, Los Angeles (3576).
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Item #
71613
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |