[Sawdring]

Why would you test the edge in stone? Wouldn't you want to test it in bark or animal hides? Stone on stone tends to dull the blade I would imagine. But is it art?

[D-fendr]

"Built in 1686 by the architect James Smith for himself and his 34 children…"

Sounds like James Smith was an ancestor of Joseph…

[RightWhale]

Sure. Look at the materials. Ochre or ocher is a soft stone, easy to crush to a powder. Ax stone is very hard and is sharpened by hitting along the edge to flake off a piece. The edge of the ax is sharp enough to cut most materials, even to shave with, and the edge can cut grooves in ocher without much damage to itself. Besides that, an ax is something that can be made every day if someone has nothing better to do. A good ax might be traded for something else, food, for example. The piece in the photo could have been used over a long period of time to test axes. Just a thought.