Ili aloalo

Ili aloalo. Fan. Made by Eseta Naniseni. Ili are made in different shapes and sizes. The materials used to make them vary from natural to synthetic and are often a combination of the two. This ili is woven in a tū (spade) shape from launiu (coconut leaf) which are cut when still green and young, then dried. This ili has a kau (handle), cylindrical in shape, of kaulama (mature coconut leaf) and laufala (pandanus) which have been woven in a chequered pattern. Two rows of green and pink dyed laukie (kie fibre) are overlaid along the inside edge of either side of the ili from the bottom to the point where they cross over.