This toki pounamu (adze) is believed to be at least five centuries old, and it would have been owned by an important chief. Europeans arriving in the 19th century encountered trading of pounamu throughout the North and South islands. In traditions, the first trading route for pounamu started when a woman named Raureka, of the Ngāti Wairangi tribe, brought a toki pounamu from the West Coast of the South Island to the east coast, making the Ngāi Tahu people aware of a route to this valuable resource.