Superb axe-ostensor - Lot 30

Superb axe-ostensor Canaque culture, New Caledonia Nephrite, wood, plant fiber, fabric, spotted dogfish hair cords H. 67 cm - L. 30 cm Provenance: Private collection, Paris: - Private collection, Paris In 1792, navigator Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux was presented with one of these unusual objects. Disconcerted by their shape and non-warlike function, he compared them to church monstrances and coined the term "axe-ostensoir". In Canak societies, possession of these ceremonial axes, also known as clubs in several vernacular languages, was the prerogative of important chiefs. Brandished during speeches, they gave rhythm and legitimacy to the discourse. Nephrite, a sacred hard stone in New Caledonia, was not only chosen for its beauty. It was also believed to be capable of containing and transmitting the spiritual forces of the ancestors, thereby strengthening the power of its owner. The piece presented here is striking for the exceptional size and beauty of its stone, a rare testimony to exceptional ancestral know-how.