Code: 2488
Description: A large part-polished basalt adzehead with a gentle posterior taper and a ground cutting edge. One corner of the cutting edge repaired with some restoration and a chip to the other cutting edge corner, but an imposing implement.
Size: 252 mm/9.9 ins. in length
Culture: Probably from New Guinea, Melanesian
Date: c. 19th Century A.D.
Provenance: Ex F.S. Clark Collection, Woking, Surrey, and with his collectors mark. Ex Robert Stonard Collection, Surrey.
Background: Mr Fred Clark (1923-2016) ran the Old Curiosity Shoppe, The Quadrant, Onslow Street, Guildford, Surrey, in the 1970’s-1980’s selling a range of collectables. A passionate collector and field-walker, he built up a fine collection of antiquities, notable for British prehistoric items, a significant number of which he obtained through trade with Dr. H.A. Fawcett. Like Fawcett, he was meticulous in documenting his collection, even the most humble tools were catalogued and fully labelled with locality, accession number and his characteristic monogram.
