Unknown stone axe with bone handle

Valjhun · 18th March 2013, 01:36 PM

Nice little one. Anybody knows proveninece, age?

fearn · 18th March 2013, 04:48 PM

Very. um, artistic. How is the stone fastened to the bone?

F

Valjhun · 18th March 2013, 07:01 PM

it is somehow stuck. very sturdy.

When I look at it, my instinct screams PAUPUA. Am I right?

David · 18th March 2013, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearn

Very. um, artistic. How is the stone fastened to the bone?

hmmm, artistic came to my mind as well. Frankly Valjhun, when i look, it screams art project. Very nicely/cleanly done, but it doesn't look to me to be a true ethnographic axe made for indigenous use. I may be way off base as this is not exactly my field, but i have personally put together things quite like this in the past, so i am skeptical.
Is the bone fossilized? It looks it.

colin henshaw · 18th March 2013, 07:32 PM

I'm sorry to say I don't think this is a genuine tribal artefact - its probably a modern fantasy or hobbyist production.

Tim Simmons · 18th March 2013, 09:25 PM

Colin is right this not genuine or good. It is no fun telling bad news but good can come of it. Stone weapons are engaging artifacts and have an otherness that cannot be found in metal objects. Stone , bone and other organic natural materials have a magical draw when you are open to them. Perhaps you can sense this, but need to look and research further. You will not be disappointed.

In the course of collecting mistakes will be made. I know I have made a great many. Buying rubbish and letting good things go for very little in ignorance.

fearn · 18th March 2013, 11:22 PM

To amplify, the bone is likely a deer cannon bone (aka a metatarsal, aka not a bone from anything on PNG). The stone head is shaped like a metal flanged axe, which makes no sense when working with stone (too weak, and very difficult to shape in anything except soft stone), and it's so cleanly worked that I'm willing to bet it was cut with modern metal tools. Ditto for the hole in the bone, if it is held together by pressure. That kind of precision is difficult to create with stone tools. Another issue is that the stone in the edge is heterogeneous, which means it is likely to shear where the white and gray boundary intersect the edge. This substantially weakens the edge, and I personally would be cautious about actually using it. While they chose the strongest bone in an ungulate's body for the handle, bone has this bad habit of shattering under stress. That, alone with a potentially friable blade, strongly suggests to me that this was an art project.

Personally, I'm not as down on art as others here, but if you're after an authentic tribal artifact, I doubt that's what this is.

My 0.0002 cents,

F

David · 19th March 2013, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearn

Personally, I'm not as down on art as others here, but if you're after an authentic tribal artifact, I doubt that's what this is.

Personally i like art projects, which is why i've done similar things myself. This object has a nice look about it, just not an authentic one.

trenchwarfare · 19th March 2013, 03:29 AM

I agree, newly made 'Tourista" piece, or art project. Pretty neat though. Probably a machine ground blade. I bought a bone handled axe, with iron head years ago off ebay. Seller said he bought it in a gift shop, in the Bahamas, while on his honeymoon. It too, was heavily patinated.

Valjhun · 19th March 2013, 03:34 AM

Thank you gents, I got this one as a present and didn't know what it was. I like it as a piece of art then and keep it.

18th March 2013, 01:36 PM	#1
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	Unknown stone axe with bone handle Nice little one. Anybody knows proveninece, age? Attached Images

18th March 2013, 04:48 PM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Very. um, artistic. How is the stone fastened to the bone? F

18th March 2013, 07:01 PM	#3
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	it is somehow stuck. very sturdy. When I look at it, my instinct screams PAUPUA. Am I right?

18th March 2013, 07:32 PM	#5
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	I'm sorry to say I don't think this is a genuine tribal artefact - its probably a modern fantasy or hobbyist production.

18th March 2013, 09:25 PM	#6
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	Colin is right this not genuine or good. It is no fun telling bad news but good can come of it. Stone weapons are engaging artifacts and have an otherness that cannot be found in metal objects. Stone , bone and other organic natural materials have a magical draw when you are open to them. Perhaps you can sense this, but need to look and research further. You will not be disappointed. In the course of collecting mistakes will be made. I know I have made a great many. Buying rubbish and letting good things go for very little in ignorance.

18th March 2013, 11:22 PM	#7
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	To amplify, the bone is likely a deer cannon bone (aka a metatarsal, aka not a bone from anything on PNG). The stone head is shaped like a metal flanged axe, which makes no sense when working with stone (too weak, and very difficult to shape in anything except soft stone), and it's so cleanly worked that I'm willing to bet it was cut with modern metal tools. Ditto for the hole in the bone, if it is held together by pressure. That kind of precision is difficult to create with stone tools. Another issue is that the stone in the edge is heterogeneous, which means it is likely to shear where the white and gray boundary intersect the edge. This substantially weakens the edge, and I personally would be cautious about actually using it. While they chose the strongest bone in an ungulate's body for the handle, bone has this bad habit of shattering under stress. That, alone with a potentially friable blade, strongly suggests to me that this was an art project. Personally, I'm not as down on art as others here, but if you're after an authentic tribal artifact, I doubt that's what this is. My 0.0002 cents, F

19th March 2013, 03:29 AM	#9
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	I agree, newly made 'Tourista" piece, or art project. Pretty neat though. Probably a machine ground blade. I bought a bone handled axe, with iron head years ago off ebay. Seller said he bought it in a gift shop, in the Bahamas, while on his honeymoon. It too, was heavily patinated.

19th March 2013, 03:34 AM	#10
Valjhun Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 692	Thank you gents, I got this one as a present and didn't know what it was. I like it as a piece of art then and keep it.