item details
Overview
This axe is a war hatchet, the likes of which would have been used during battle. It is not attributed to a particular community, but they are found across much of Southern Africa including modern-day South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. In contemporary times, this type of axe is an implement used during Zulu dance performances.
The axe belonged to Captain Richard John Spotswood Seddon, the son of long serving Liberal premier Richard John Seddon. He perished during World War I, in 1918. His collection of objects was originally donated to Wellington College in 1936 by his sister, Dame Elizabeth Gilmer. It became the Captain Seddon Collection and when Wellington College was no longer able to house the items, the collection was donated to the National Museum in 1973.
For more information see:
Powell C, Akeli Amaama S (2023) Exploring connections: Reviewing aspects of Te Papa’s historical South African Collection. Tuhinga 34: 75-86. https://doi.org/10.3897/tuhinga.34.106520