Te reeree

Te reeree. Sword set with shark's teeth. The blade and hilt of this double-handed rere (sword) are carved from te kanni (coconut wood). The blade measures 887mm in length and is carved to a pointed apex. The blade is ovoid in cross section. The lance is long and cylindrical in shape finished in with a rounded butt at the base. Wi n bakoa (shark teeth) are lashed to the blade in three long rows that run from centre of the top of the weapon. The wi n bakoa have been perforated at their base and fitted into the grooves carved in the wood in alignment with perforated holes. Te kora (coconut sennit) lashes each wi n bakoa securely to the blade through the perforated holes. A woven cuff of baan ni kaina (pandanus) is woven out in a checker pattern with dark and light coloured strips of fibre at the centre of the weapon. The rere is medium brown in overall colour, while the wi n bakoa are off-white in colour.