Ruatangaeo (ceremonial adze)

Adzes with finely decorated shafts and intricate lashings, from the island of Mangaia in the Southern Cook Islands, are distinct to those found anywhere else in the Pacific. Some decorated adzes with shafts that can be manoeuvred with one hand were used as weapons as well as objects of art that marked social distinction. Other adzes with larger shafts and more elaborate designs were more ceremonial. The unique features of these Mangaian adzes are the finely polished adze heads, the intricate ‘triple-triangle pattern’ lashing and the detailed carved pedestal like shafts.

Significance

Adzes were prized not only as tools but as material property of wealth. An adze maker is a ta’unga (expert) who enjoyed a position of social and economic importance. His work is sought after and is paid in food and cloth for his services and he could buy protection with his skills. With a collection of adzes the conquered could buy life and protection from a powerful chief.

The carved Mangaian adzes were made in several styles based on its size and form. Pedestal adzes, know as ruatangaeo, such as this one are said to be descended from or related to carved deities. There are various names and meanings associated with the holes of the adze. One account, of which the name of this type of adzes derives from, refers to pedestal adzes as ruatangaeo or kingfisher’s nests, from the holes on the haft. Ruatangaeo adzes, which were beautifully carved and ornamented with feathers, were regarded as inferior gods or objects of divination. It was believed that when the holes were plugged it had an effect of stilling storms and protecting fishermen from their fury.

In the 1800s, Mangaian carvers made adzes not only for their own cultural practices but also for foreign trade. The existence of numerous adzes in museum and private collections highlights the extent and demand of this market. Indeed, the tourist trade created the motivation for the continued manufacture of these adzes throughout the 1900s.

Materials and decorations

This ruatangaeo adze has a castellated base comprising of 8 projections. Two thirds of the base is roughly square in section, the other third is octagonal in section. The adze is hafted to the handle with very fine lashing. A small piece of shark skin is visible as part of the foot and binding. The entire body of the handle is intricately carved with K-shaped motifs and long rows of triangles. Each side of the base has 9 rectangularwindows arranged in three rows of three.

Acquisition History

This is one of three ruatangaeo adzes that were purchased the New Zealand International Exhibition of Arts and Industries 1906 in Christchurch. A Cook Islands group were among the Pacific islands participants where they gave cultural performances and brought artifacts for exhibition and for sale. At the conclusion of the exhibition a number of items were acquired by Augustus Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum, Te Papa’s predecessor. They were registered and described by Hamilton as numbers 1696, 1697 and 1698 in his original hand-written register and described as "ceremonial axe toki tiki-tiki". He noted the makers as Tangitoru, Ruarakau and Te Kaa, all of whom had been at the Exhibition. Unfortunately, as Hamilton's original numbers have not survived and the adzes have been identified from photographs taken at the exhibition, it is not possible to say who made this example.

References

Giglioli, E. H. 1902. Della ascie litiche di Mangaia. Archivo per l’Anthropologia e l’Etnologia 32: 292-302

Hamilton, A. 1911. Rough notes on Mangaia ‘peace’ or ceremonial axes and slings. Dominion Museum Bulletin 3: 102

Sidney Moko Mead 1968 Polynesian Hafted Adzes: A comparative study of form and decoration. Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University. (Unpublished PhD dissertation)