Te reeree

Te reeree. Sword. This is a hand held weapon. A length of kanni (coconut palm wood) has been cut, carved and filed to portray a handle and blade as one component. The handle is cylindrical in form with a circular cross-section at its base. The handle section of the length has been encased with woven ira (pandanus leaf). The irauea (cordage of human hair) has been used to bind a section at the base. A dark brown coloured weft of the ira has been used to create a chequered pattern across the handle. A section of irauea has been coiled around the handle to finish off the encasement. The blade length is different in form to the handle. It has been filed with a central ridge that runs from both ends of the blade. Its depth tapers into an edge on both sides and a horizontal furrow has been carved out just before the end of the point. Perforations have been drilled through the wood and a furrow has been filed into the edges of the blade. Wii ni bakoa (sharks teeth) has been individually inlayed along the furrows and positioned adjacent to the perforations. Each wii ni bakoa portrays a central perforation where the kora (cordage of coconut sennit fibres) has been inserted and used to lash and secure each tooth.