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hand and stone
Photography:
Moti Fishbain
Dov Ganchrow
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MAN MADE
Thoughts on tools and design through a series of contemporary prehistoric hand-axes. Ami Drach (1963-2012) and Dov Ganchrow
Background
The iconic hand-axe is a teardrop- or almond- shaped prehistoric stone tool that has been worked from both sides into a typically and progressively symmetrical form. It's probably the most popular tool ever, with a span of over 1.4 million years of use and found across several continents including Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
The stone axe's abundance and span within the archaeological record has led to several radical theories explaining its longevity. One theory proposes that we have a predisposition for creating this form, not unlike certain avian species' genetically preprogrammed ability to create a certain kind (material/form/size) of nest.
Another interesting theory links this form with our evolutionary aesthetic preferences, devoid of cultural or learned tainting, i.e., the pleasure we derive from symmetrical forms has been associated with our understanding that a person with a symmetrical body is probably healthy, and therefore desirable for mating.
Additionally, the existence of oversized or unused hand-axes has fostered the idea that perhaps its purpose was a courtship object, boasting an individual's dexterity, ability to plan ahead, or to make tools, and generally to be a good provider, traits increasing the chance of survival. A direct parallel can be drawn to underlying cues in today's material culture: extravagant cars, jewelry and accessories or brand names (presumably) signaling an individual's social and financial standing and hence, ability to provide.
Some speculation remains as to the hand-axe's exact use, but it is generally accepted that the hand-axe was a multi-tool, i.e., a tool that could be wielded in several manners, and function in various ways within changing scenarios of utilization.
Though several variations of the teardrop form exist, they mainly still fall under the same geometric guidelines: a directional shape with circumscribed sharper edge, two-plane mirror symmetry, and roughly a size that can be grasped in one hand. The edge running the perimeter of the hand-axe allows a choice of edge geometry: deeply arced belly (as in a skinning knife), shallow arced (as in a kitchen knife), and point (as in a dagger). These variables along with the stone's weight suggest myriad uses.
The hand-axe was, at times, possibly halved with a handle of sorts, be it a piece of leather wrapping so as to protect the user's hand from the stone's edge or a shaft to gain leverage and momentum.
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Posted 14 June 2014
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Handaxes
Photography:
Moti Fishbain
Dov Ganchrow
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Design
The MAN MADE series of works proposes various gripping and halving possibilities originating more from the stone hand-axe's form than from specific utilitarian actions.
Each of the white handle additions spotlights a singular use of the tool, absenting all other use possibilities, effectively transforming the ultimate multi-tool into a specialized tool. Any multi-tool becomes specialized when frozen at a single moment in time during its use.
The first stage of the project was one of hastened evolution and bleeding: flint rocks of desirable size, shape and material quality were sourced from the Negev desert in southern Israel, while time was spent improving and understanding the skill of knapping. Basically this involved the striking of flint with a softer stone (historically a striking bone or antler was also used) to create controlled breakage, and chipping away flint flakes as the impact's shock wave runs through the stone. Needless to say this is also where the bleeding comes in…
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The flint hand-axes were then three-dimensionally scanned with the gracious help of Dr. Leore Grosman's digital lab at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem's institute of Archaeology. The digital hand-axe files then had handles custom-designed exemplifying various tool uses.
Then, with support from Stratasys the handle files were printed in Verogray – a performance polymer. The parts were then prepared and assembled on the original flint hand-axes, effectively joining the two most temporally distant Making technologies: flint knapping and 3-D printing.
The tools raise a few points for discussion, e.g., handling; right/left handedness (stone hand-axe number 9), two-handed grasping as in digging or a pounding motion (stone hand-axe number 8).
The principal of indirect percussion, an action similar to a mason hitting a chisel with a hammer and transferring the force to a stone, was exemplified by the forming of a platform above the hand grip (stone hand-axe number 7). This indirect knapping technique is evident and used in prehistoric flint-tool making for creating more refined and elongated blades.
The use of latching is illustrated in the axe with interchangeable stone-holding heads (stone hand-axe number 4), wherein the handle grip pattern loops the latching reference in a graphic manner as well.
The spear (stone hand-axe number 2) also makes use of cord latching by extending itself wedge-like into a split piece of wood. Here, the polymer part serves as a mediator between the organic and the mineral, a kind of connector that also appears in the adze (stone hand-axe number 10), a tool probably used for woodworking in a chopping-pulling motion. Examples of halved adzes have been documented in use in contemporary stone-technology cultures such as in tribes of New Guinea. Traditionally, the angle between the working stone and handle is both functional and due to the handle making use of a piece of wood with a branching to which the stone is affixed. The polymer connector makes morphological homage to this branching and adds an engineer's structural rib for strength.
How was a hand-axe carried? This thought resides in the clip-on holster (stone hand-axe number 3) along with the notion that if you are already carrying a stone when threatened by a predator, you will likely throw it at the predator regardless of the time invested in making it. Incidentally, there have been studies carried out trying to evaluate the aerodynamic effectiveness of the hand-axe as a projectile.
Lastly, the tripod hand-axe display (stone hand-axe number 6) is just that - a courtship object, a means of boasting your stone tool making abilities, perhaps getting lucky and passing those traits on in evolution.
Each of the flint hand-axes used in this project differs from the other due to the material used and manner in which each was knapped. The specific character of each stone (size, color, shape, etc.) was paired with what were deemed the most befitting handle and setting to yield a "group discussion" on the archetypical hand-axe.
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Product designers Ami Drach (1963-2012) and Dov Ganchrow established their design studio in 1996. The studio's projects include medical product development and design, furniture and lighting design, museum exhibit design as well as the more personal and experimental design of objects such as the ongoing flint tool design project, with this, its latest MAN MADE hand-axe collection.
Their works have been shown extensively and are in private and museum collections.
They are both graduates of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design's Industrial Design Department (Jerusalem, Israel), where Ami was a Professor and former department head and Dov continues to lecture.
Moti Fishbain
Dov Ganchrow
37 Yehuda Hayamit Street
68134 Tel-Aviv
Israel
Studio: 972-3-6820618
Cell: 972-50-4088878
dov.ganchrow@gmail.com
www.amidov.com
Read more on shaped prehistoric stone and natural glass tools >
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