Large Papua New Guinea Mount Hagen Stone Axe (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 156)

$289.13

Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Mount Hagen, ca. 20th century CE. A powerful emblem of wealth and social exchange, this ceremonial stone axe, known as a Di Kurugu, emerges from the highlands of Mount Hagen as both object and currency, a form shaped as much by ritual as by hand. The polished stone blade is set into a carved wooden socket, affixed to a gracefully bent wooden handle. The join is tightly bound and concealed beneath intricately woven cane, creating a dense, patterned surface that reinforces the structure while elevating its visual complexity. A long vertical shaft extends downward, while the opposing end broadens into a paddle-like form wrapped in finely woven fiber with geometric motifs, lending the piece a striking asymmetry and presence. Size (with blade inserted): 30″ L x 3.5″ W x 33.5″ H (76.2 cm x 8.9 cm x 85.1 cm)

In the Mount Hagen area, such axes functioned as stores of wealth and instruments of exchange rather than utilitarian tools. They played a central role in brideprice payments, where several axes formed part of the negotiated transfer between families, alongside additional ceremonial objects. Everyday working axes, by contrast, were excluded from such exchanges. Though modern examples are now produced in steel, stone axes like this remain potent symbols of tradition, value, and social connection. Both sculptural and symbolic, the Di Kurugu stands as a testament to a cultural system in which material, meaning, and ceremony are tightly bound.

Provenance: private Park City, Utah, USA collection

Condition: Blade is detached. Loosening to woven cane with some fraying and a few small tears. Expected weathering to surface. Rich patina throughout.