Hoe (Carved ceremonial paddle)

Hoe. Carved ceremonial paddle. The hoe is carved from ra'au (hardwood) into a leaf-shaped blade and a long cylindrical to'o (shaft). The to'o flares towards the butt which is carved into eight stylised ti'i (ancestral human figures) arranged concentrically and flat at the butt end itself. On this flat surface of the butt is carved a central sun motif. Sun motifs also feature prominently in the carved surface decoration on each side of the blade surfaces of the wood. The hoe is dark brown in colour with a glossy patina.