Ancient celt for carving canoe - kapak - west Papua (No reserve price)

Stone Celt – Lake Pania (Wisselmeren), Central Highlands, 1950s

This ancient stone celt was field collected in situ in the 1950s by a Dutch missionary in the Lake Pania region, formerly known during the Dutch period as the Wisselmeren. Although collected in the mid-20th century, the tool itself represents a much older technological tradition that had remained in continuous use in the Central Highlands of New Guinea.

Such celts were essential implements. They were used for cutting and shaping wood, preparing firewood, and most importantly for the construction of canoes, which were vital for transport and subsistence around the lake system. The polished stone blade, fitted into a wooden haft (now absent), provided durability and effectiveness in an environment where metal tools were not yet widespread.

The form is functional and restrained, shaped by repeated grinding rather than decoration. Its surfaces show wear consistent with prolonged use, bearing witness to a life of work rather than display. In highland societies around Lake Pania, tools like this were often kept for generations and could hold personal or lineage value.

Collected at a moment when traditional lifeways were rapidly changing, this celt stands at the intersection of deep time and recent history—an object still in use when encountered, yet rooted in prehistoric technology.

A strong, honest example of highland Papuan material culture with clear historical context.

A gorgeous and rare piece — an outstanding addition to any collection of Oceanic art.


A museum-quality artifact of outstanding ethnographic and artistic value.
Secure packaging and insured shipment will be arranged with care.

A striking and authentic example of Asmat warrior art — deeply rooted in the region’s ancestral and headhunting traditions.

Packed with care
Sending worldwide

Sold by Koos Knol, ethnographer and anthropologist, dealer of Papua Tribal Art for more than 30 years, expert and author of the book “Papua Blues”, written in Dutch. (Maybe in English next year.)  Published end of October 2024
A book about inside stories, a book that deals with the many encounters with special people in West Papua, the impressive experiences that the author has, about special encounters with men and women who tell him about secret things, about ethnographic objects and initiate him into the rituals and ceremonies.
A must have for collectors, ethnographers, ethnologists, anthropologists and museums
 
Google:Papua Blues Koos Knol