Te ili

Ili. Fan. This is an ili made of laufala (pandanus) and crepe paper. The handle of the ili is cylindrical in shape and wrapped in lalaga (woven) laufala. The handle then flares to form a diamond shaped blade. The blade is lalaga using thicker strips of laufala and a simple technique. Blue crepe paper is then threaded through the laufala for decorative purposes. The edge of the blade is then wrapped in black material and sewn to give the ili a clean finish. As in many parts of the Pacific, ili are used to keep cool in hot weather or presented as gifts to visitors.