New Guinea Cermonial Hagen Axe

This is an extraordinary example of a New Guinea ceremonial axe. It is large and has extensive patterned cane work in multiple different patterns showing substantial time was put into the making of the piece. The triangular butt section has a large fiber chain wrapped around its base with small animal jaws and bones attached to it. The butt section also has small round tufts of reddish fur attached to the woven cane. All of the pieces are stained black. The blade has worked loose in the binding. I bought this piece in the 1970's from a woman who obtained it in New Guinea when she was a nurse working in the interior during the war in New Guinea. She told me that where she was working, she was the first non-native woman that the local natives had ever seen.

L. 24"; W. 24"