Axe Haft Currency
ClassificationsTools and Equipment-axes
Culture
Massim
Date20th Century
Made AtMilne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
Collection SiteMilne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
MediumWood, fiber and paint
Dimensions36 × 22 1/2 × 1 in. (91.4 × 57.2 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineCollected on behalf of the Bowers Museum by the Roski-Keller-Martin Expedition
Object number2014.12.33
DescriptionThe purpose of such axe hafts is not a functional one. Rather, together with stone blades, these axes are a prestige item and a form of currency within the Massim area. The overall purpose of the haft of the axe is to display and set off the striking qualities of the blade, which is where the axe’s value lies. Painted presentation axes are not altogether unusual; however there were no examples of painted axes found at the time of acquisition. The blue paint might suggest that the axe was created recently, or that a previously made axe was painted within more recent times.On View
Not on viewCollections
