Iliili

human history

Iliili. Fan. This is a hand held iliili. It consists of two components, a handle and a woven blade. The handle is made of a light weight wood that shows dark brown surface tones made from kieto (ebony wood). The base portrays a rectangular cross-section with an uneven internal cavity. A crack runs vertically along the wooden grain of the handle suggesting the direction in which the length was obtained from the tree. The length of the handle tapers into blunt point at the top. A large, triangular blade has been woven from a natural fibre such as lau niu (coconut leaf) and kāniu (coconut midrib). The direction of the woven pattern appears to begin from the centre spine of the blade. The spine of the blade has been woven over the tapered length of the handle featuring a woven braid on both sides. One side exposes the blunt point of the handle. The base edge of the blade is a straight edge and then the sides curve towards short and serrated top edge. Two open woven borders feature along the sides of the blade. Cordage of dark brown lau ulu (human hair) has been used to join and weave the pinnules of the blade to the handle. The cordage has also been utilized to portray a geometric pattern through the weave.

Accession number: 1924.230 Last Update: 24 Sept 2019
Other Name

Fan (English)

Place
Niue
Accession Number

1924.230

Accession Date

1924

Other Id

8223 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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10 Images
Iliili, 1924.230, 8223, Photographed by Richard Ng, digital, 14 Jan 2019, Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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