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Te tanai

human history
  • Other Name

    Hafted adze tool

    Wiin te tanai

  • Description

    Te tanai. Hafted adze tool.This is an adze blade. It is a component of a tool used for cutting into hard materials. The tanai (adze blade) has been cut from te aubunga (tridacna gigas; clam shell). It has retained its natural convex form and curved liner exterior that defines the shells lines of growth. Small pores dapple the exterior of the tanai. The base of its triangular form has been sharpened to a single edge forming the blade that would make contact when in use.

    The base side is concave where some areas have been smoothed around the edges. It is hard in material. It is varied in grey tone with an underlying base colour.

  • Place
    Tarawa/Gilbert Islands/Kiribati
  • Accession Number
    1939.104
  • Accession Date
    1939
  • Other Id

    24495 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply

Images and documents

Images

  • Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Te tanai; 1939.104; 24495; Cultural Permissions Apply

Artefact

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