Skip to content
  • 9am–5pm
  • Free general admission
  • Shop

We are no longer updating this page and it is not optimised for mobile devices.

You are in site section: Explore

Search page category

Tools

Long adze blade, 14.5cm long, and made of a yellowish limestone. The upper and lower surfaces of the sharp edge are rectangular.

Adze blade ko’i

limestone, Hawaii, l. 23 cm, w. 4.5 cm (blade), h. 2.8 cm (max.), Inv. Oz 273

Adze blade made of fine-grained black basalt and triangular in cross-section. Blade and cutting edge, as well as the sides, are smoothly polished.

Adze blade

basalt, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 15 cm, w. 4 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 362

Adze blade made of hard black basalt stone with a rounded off neck, also rounded off lengthwise in cross-section.

Adze blade toki

basalt, New Zealand, l. 14.6 cm, w. 6.5 cm, Inv. Oz 286

Adze blade made of a light-coloured greenstone (a kind of Jasper or Nephritic stone) with four-edged cross-section and without shoulder neck.

Adze blade toki pounamu

greenstone, New Zealand, l. 12.5 cm, w. 6.3 cm, Inv. Oz 287

Adze blade made of dark-coloured greenstone.

Adze blade toki pounamu

greenstone, New Zealand, l. 10 cm, w. 4 cm, Inv. Oz 288

Small stone axe with a handle made from medium brown hardwood and a blade made of fine-grained black basalt both tied together with coconut fibre. The end of the T-shaft appears to be broken off.

Adze to’i

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 43 cm (overall), l. 14 cm, w. 5 cm (blade), Inv. Hanover 1854, No. 3

Large T-shaft stone axe with a handle made from medium brown hardwood and a blade made of fine-grained black basalt both tied together with coconut fibre.

Adze to’i

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 53 cm (overall), l. 15.5 cm, w. 4.5 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 360

Large T-shaft stone axe with a handle made from medium brown hardwood and a blade made of fine-grained black basalt both tied together with coconut fibre.

Adze to’i

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 56.5 cm (overall), l. 18.5 cm, w. 3.8 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 361

Stone adzes, with a round handle and knee made of a light brown lightweight wood with a four edged blade made of basalt, and attached to shaft with plaited coconut fibres.

Adzes toki

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tonga, l. 35.5–39 cm, w. 3–4 cm (cutting edge), Inv. Oz 357

adzes, with a round handle and knee made of a light brown, lightweight wood with a four edged blade made of basalt, and firmly attached to the shaft with plaited coconut fibres

Adzes toki

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tonga, l. 35.5–39 cm, w. 3–4 cm (cutting edge), Inv. Oz 358

Small stone adzes with round handle and knee made of a light brown, lightweight wood with a four edged blade made of basalt, firmly attached to the shaft with plaited coconut fibres.

Adzes toki

wood, basalt, coconut fibre, Tonga, l. 35.5–39 cm, w. 3–4 cm (cutting edge), Inv. Oz 359

Plaited bands of varying thickness made of coconut fibres, and other plants. Some wrapped around old playing cards.

Bands

coconut fibre, unattributed, w. 0.3–0.8 cm, Inv. Oz 370–375

Bark beater made of a piece of whalebone, the head is trapeze-shaped and the end of the flat grip is wide and notched like a fishtail.

Bark beater ees’ee

whalebone, Nootka Sound, northern Pacific, l. 26.6 cm, w. 4.5 cm, h. 6 cm, Inv. Am 620

Breadfruit splitter made of a dark brown hardwood, shaped similar to an axe. The blade and shaft are made from one piece.

Breadfruit splitter

wood, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 31 cm, w. 6.5 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 365

Black human hair loosely and unevenly twisted into a long bundle, partly in loops.

Bundle of hair

Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 165 cm, Inv. Oz 113

Walnut-shaped nut. Light-brown in colour and badly splintered in places.

Candlenut tiairi

Tahiti and the Society Islands, d. 2.9 cm, Inv. Oz 442

Walnut-shaped nut with a lustrous surface of a grey or brownish-black colour.

Candlenut tiairi

Tahiti and the Society Islands, d. 3.2 cm, Inv. Oz 443

Chisel made of a light-coloured greenstone (a kind of Jasper orNephritic stone) with rounded cross-section and narrow cutting edge.

Chisel whao,

purupuru

greenstone, New Zealand, l. 6 cm, w. 1.2 cm, Inv. Oz 290

Cord made of coconut fibres and wound round old English playing cards.

Cord

coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, w. 0.2–0.8 cm, Hanover 1854, No. 14

Cord, beige-brown in colour, made from plant materials and twisted.

Cord

plant fibre, Hawaii, d. 0.3 cm, Inv. Oz 230

Cord made of twisted flax and wrapped around a card.

Cord

flax, New Zealand, w. 0.1 cm, Inv. Oz 305

Cord made of plaited flax, yellow and brownish-black, and wrapped around a card.

Cord

flax, New Zealand, w. 0.3 cm, Inv. Oz 306

Cord made of sweet scented grass.

Cord

flax, New Zealand, w. 0.2 cm, Inv. Oz 307

Cord made of made from light brown plant fibres and wound round a thin piece of cardboard.

Cord

coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, w. 0.2–0.8 cm, Inv. Oz 367

Cord made of coconut fibres and wound into a ball.

Cord

coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, w. 0.2–0.8 cm, Inv. Oz 368

Cord made of coconut fibres and wound round a thin piece of cardboard.

Cord

coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, w. 0.2–0.8 cm, Inv. Oz 376

Cord, beige-brown in colour made of plant materials and twisted. It is rolled up to form an oval ring.

Cord

plant fibre, Hawaii, d. 0.2 cm, Inv. Oz 509

Cords made of grass, fibres of the coconut, and other plants; a kind of flax, and various other materials.

Cords

grass or flax, unattributed, w. 0.1–0.4 cm, Inv. Oz 518, 519, 198, 199

Possibly used as a drinking vessel made from the natural shell of the cowry snail.

Cowry shell

Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 3.5 cm, Inv. Oz 396

Digging stick made of a dark brown heavy wood.

Digging stick

wood, Vanuatu, l. 158 cm, d. 3.5 cm, Inv. Oz 1286

Drinking bowl made from a light-brown young coconut where the shell was split open just above its widest point.

Drinking bowl

coconut, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 8 cm, Inv. Oz 392

Drinking bowl made from white coconut where the shell was split open just above its widest point.

Drinking bowl

coconut, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 10.3 cm, Inv. Oz 393

Drinking bowl made from a dark brown, ripe coconut with a triangular-shape opening.

Drinking bowl

coconut, coconut fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 5.2 cm, Inv. Oz 395

Flax sample of twenty twisted cords, ending in loose strands, knotted together at the upper edge and held together by a thin band.

Flax sample harakeke

New Zealand, d. 0.7 cm, Hanover 1854, No. 34

Flax sample in a bundle twisted together and wound up.

Flax sample harakeke

New Zealand, Inv. Oz 304

A bundle of twisted flax strands consisting of twelve individual strands.

Flax sample harakeke

New Zealand, l. 40 cm, Inv. Oz 310

Flax sample in long, twisted strands

Flax sample harakeke

New Zealand, l. 85 cm, Inv. Oz 311

A fly-flap or whisk, made of coconut fibres, affixed to a wooden handle of reddish–brown colour, polished and bulged at both ends and a tassel of blackish-brown coconut fibres.

Flywhisk fue kafa

wood, coconut fibre, Tonga, l. 31 cm (handle), 25 cm (tassel, max.), Inv. Oz 149

Brown netted bag with large holes made from a plant material.

Netted bag koko

plant fibre, Hawaii, Inv. Oz 155

Pounder made from a single piece of black basalt with polished finish. A string binding at the neck is plaited from plant fibres. The object has a pounding surface, neck and a head part.

Pounder penu

basalt, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 17.5 cm, d. 11.5 cm (base), Hanover 1854, No. 39

Pounder made from a single piece of black basalt with polished finish. The object consists of a pounding surface, neck and a head part.

Pounder penu

basalt, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 17.7 cm, 12.5 cm (base), Inv. Oz 366

Pounder made out of a piece of heavy wood, and polished. The shaft is broader lower down and ends in a large wooden knob.

Pounder tuki

Wood, Tonga, l. 30 cm, d. 4 cm and 10.6 cm, Inv. Oz 81

Spinning top that is a kind of bean with a thick dark brown shell, in which a hole is made and one end of a small stick put through it.

Spinning top

coconut leaf rib, seed, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 15.5 cm, d. 5.5 cm, Inv. Oz 461

Stick made of wood.

Stick

wood, Vanuatu, l. 112.5 cm, Inv. Oz 1511

Tattooing comb made of wood and plant fibre. The blade is made from bone.

Tattooing comb

wood, bone, plant fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 15.5 cm (handle), 3.3 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 436

Tattooing comb made of wood and plant fibre. The blade is made from bone.

Tattooing comb

wood, bone, plant fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 10.4 cm (handle), 2.2 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 437

Tattooing comb made of wood and plant fibre. The blade is made from bone.

Tattooing comb

wood, bone, plant fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 11.9 cm (handle), 3 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 438

Tattooing comb made of wood and plant fibre. The blade is made from bone.

Tattooing comb

wood, bone, plant fibre, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 10.3 cm (handle), 3 cm (blade), Inv. Oz 439

Tattooing mallet made from a piece of brown wood. Its long rounded handle thickens at the holding end and tapers towards the slightly concave striking surface

Tattooing mallet

wood, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 46.5 cm, l. 13.2 cm (striking surface), w. 5.6 cm (max.), Inv. Oz 440

Tattooing mallet made of wood.

Tattooing mallet

wood, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 42.5 cm, l. 12.9 cm (striking surface), w. 5.3 cm (max.), Inv. Oz 441

Two bands made of plaited flax and wound up.

Two bands

plaited flax, New Zealand, w. 0.6–0.9 cm, Inv. Oz 308, 309

Return to Top