Handaxe for Humanity Exhibition replication

Iziko Museums of South Africa is in the process of developing a human evolution exhibition. In it, we will be displaying a life-like full size model of Homo erectus (Turkana Boy). We have asked the artist developing this model to include a handaxe in the rendition so that it speaks to the other objects on display. To include the handaxe, the artist (Elisabeth Daynes) needs to have an example to study. We require colour, retouch and feel to be very similar to a real handaxe and therefore a 3D print or hi-res imagery is insufficient. She doesn't have access to a museum collection that would have an African example of this tool so we want to send her one for study. The object is part of Iziko Archaeology's Teaching Collection (the Heese Collection) and is uncontextualised archaeological material culture. The handaxe will be posted via reputable courier and will not be damaged by the artist as it won't be cast, it will be studied, redrawn, and a new one moulded. The handaxe will be returned either by courier or with the model that is due to be shipped to Iziko Museums in September 2023.