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Hôtel des Ventes de Troyes

78 - - Ceremonial toki adze - Mangaia - Cook Islands - France Pro…
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Estimate €400 - €500
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Description
- Ceremonial toki adze - Mangaia - Cook Islands - France Provenance: Private collection, Belgium - Dimensions: 99 cm Large ceremonial or prestige adze with a long cylindrical handle entirely covered with geometric decoration carved in successive registers. The angled head holds a polished basalt blade secured by a large ligature of dark vegetable fibre, characteristic of traditional Polynesian tools adapted to the introduction of European metal. The handle features a remarkable continuous pattern of triangular and star-shaped motifs carved in relief, creating a particularly dense textural effect. This geometric ornamentation, typical of Mangaia aesthetics, has parallels in the famous clubs, ceremonial paddles and tool handles produced on the island in the 18th and 19th centuries. Toki were first and foremost essential tools for woodworking - building houses, making dugout canoes, carving ritual objects - but the most elaborate examples were also prestigious objects, testifying to the rank of their owner and the technical mastery of the carver. The use of a metal blade, replacing an old polished stone blade, probably places this piece in the period of contact or after the first exchanges with Europeans.
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About the sale ARTS OF AFRICA & OCEANIA: Three exceptional family collections
Auction location
Auction time 06/22/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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