Featured Jade? Axe head.

This turned up in a mixed auction lot today. Can anybody help me to identify its origin? It appears to be an axe head. It has grooves on each side which may be a clue.

All help welcome

John

 

Without the grooves, and with a more pointed end, I would have said Papua.

 

Maori greenstone toki (adze)?

 

I don't think I've ever seen one with a groove like that.

 

Here are some examples. https://www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/index/2280-maori-artefacts-toki-adze/

Really cool find. I love these types of things.

 

Thank you .

 

Interesting.Maybe this is only the start of something that was left unfinished.

 

Maybe left because of that large chip? Then again the surface looks so nicely polished you would think the item is completed.

 

Again, no grooves.
Maybe it is a 1968 groovy axe head or adze.

 

Jade would not be my choice of stone for hitting things. It is a VERY soft stone!

 

I don’t think it’s a “chip” more of an imperfection in the stone.

 

Yes. I thinks it's known as greenstone. I was wrong with jade. (I specialise in ceramics)

 

Noted. Thanks

 

Most New Zealand greenstone is nephrite jade, some is bowenite. As far as I know, New Guinea jade is nephrite jade. New Guinea jade often has that blueish tinge.

Jade has a hardness of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale, but it has a very high density, making it very strong, especially a large chunk like that.
I have a Maori jade 'mere' or club, and could easily kill someone with it. Which I won't do, of course.

 

I asked a major auction house that I have used a number of times. Here is their response.

This is a Māori Adze blade (Toki Pounamu) and probably dated from the 19th century, perhaps earlier. For two similar examples sold here see sale no.…..