Asmat axe.
 

I have seen this axe appear and reappear on ebay. It had always cought me eye but I have always been very suspisious of traders around Indonesian ruled Papua. However looking through "The shadows of New Guinea, arts of the great island of Oceania, the collections of the Barbier-Mueller" {I have the French version} a wonderful example is illustrated. I could see that the axe that interested me did indeed follow a tradition and clearly not antique has none the less some age. So I bought it!!!! :eek: Okay it is not lovely like the books example but you have to start somewhere. Also I am into stone I love carving it, I can see the work.

Okay going back some. The axe I bought, the slightly out of focus picture is a rubbish tourist thing. The blade even having part of it formed by glued up sand and grit. However I am now the owner of an axe every bit as good if not better than the example in the Barbier-Mueller. I will show more of it when I have it.

Congrats
A very nice example :).


Lew

Its here but did suffer in the shipping. The figure had broken at the feet
:( Not the end of the world, stuck with PVA. Sadly visible but even museums have a mend it department. The figure with the double hornbill head and the human head all refer to headhunting activities. Unlikely to be a war axe but you could still persuade somebody to give up the will to live. However when viewed with reference to the two links. You can see why I paid high shipping cost, import duties and a customs charge. I must be mad :)

http://holmes.anthropology.museum/asmat/axefull.html

better link

http://www.clarku.edu/~jborgatt/sale...ows260-277.pdf