New Acquisitions

Complete adze. The cross-section is lenticular. The surface is ground with flaking on the poll. There is minor differentiation between the butt and the blade as the surface changes from ground to flaked. The bevel is demarcated by an oblique ridge. The cutting edge is straight and sharp but it has quite a few chips along it, with two major ones on either side.

Complete adze. Pounamu. Dark green, mid grey. Cross-section is oval. Surface is ground on front and back, surface is bruised on sides and butt. Major differentiation between butt and blade, front and sides reduced forming shoulder. Bevel is demarcated by a line, cutting edge is sharp and curved, heavily chipped. "Nth Taieri" written on front.

Complete adze. Basalt. Mid grey, dark grey. Cross-section of butt is oval, cross-section of blade is rectangular. Surface of front and back lower blade is ground, all other surfaces are bruised. Major differentiation between butt and blade, unusually, back reduced forming shoulder on back of adze. Bevel is continuous with blade, cutting edge is sharp and curved, fragment missing from proper right. Cutting edge is heavily chipped. "Nth Taieri" written on front.

Complete sinker with deep transverse lashing groove.

Complete adze. Stone. Black. Cross-section is rectangular. Surface is ground, with deep but smoothed flake marks, bruised on front butt. Minor differentiation between butt and blade, sides reduced to form small shoulder. Poll end of butt flaked. Bevel is demarcated by line, cutting edge is sharp and straight, lots of little chips along cutting edge. Clinton written on front.

Complete adze. Stone. Black. Cross-section is oval. Surface is ground on front and back blade, bruised on sides and back of blade and butt, flaked at poll. Minor differentiation between butt and blade, sides reduced forming shoulder. Bevel is continuous with blade. Cutting edge is sharp and straight.

Complete unfinished adze. Light grey/green stone. The cross-section is trapezoidal with the back narrower than the front. The surface is mostly bruised and flaked with a ground bevel and lower front of the blade. There is a reduction in the sides of the stone at the butt. The bevel is demarcated by the change of surface in an irregular line. The cutting edge is straight, smooth and sharp.

Possible fragment of waka. One perforation hole drilled from two sides. Burnt at one end around a possible second perforation. Flat on top and slight curve. White clay remains on article.

Broken, unfinished putatara. The apex of the spire has been broken off, but there are no perforations to attach a mouthpiece, and the interior spire is intact. The majority of the body is broken off. There are no obvious signs of working.

Cut pile embroidered raffia cloth., These textiles are made by the Kuba people of the Kasai river area of Central Zaire. A plain weave raffia fabric was woven by the men and embroidered by the women with great accuracy and skill. The fine lines of the design are stitched with dyed raffia and the pile areas are stitched with groups of fine raffia fibres which are then cut to short even lengths. The abstract designs are often similar to wood carvings, house decorations and the ritual body scars of both men and women. These cloths display wealth and prestige on ceremonial occasions. They assume great importance at funerals where they reaffirm enduring social relationships and, as burial cloths, indicate adherence to belief in after life.

Complete toki. Trapezoidal with back narrower than front. Poll = Oval. Front of blade is mostly bruised. Back of blade is very similar to front - also bruised. Major differentiation between blade and butt. Clear reduction to the shoulder. Bevel is continuous on blade. Cutting edge is curved and blunt.