Links to the Past: The Work of Early Hawaiian Artisans

Fans

... amongst their articles of handicraft may be reckoned small square fans of mat or wicker-work, with handles tapering from them of the same or of wood, which are neatly wrought with small cords of hair, and fibres of the cocoa-nut core intermixed. James Cook, Resolution commander (in Hawai‘i 1778–9 during third voyage) Fans and fly-laps are used by both sexes. William Beresford, Charlotte supercargo in Hawai‘i 1786, 1787 The fans were made from the ends of young cocoanut leaves. The broad end being elastic, threw the air far more efficiently than the stiff fans now commonly braided. S.E.Bishop, 19th -century missionary son, historian An excellent fan was made from the loulu-palm leaf. The handle was braided into a figured pattern. David Malo, 19th-century Hawaiian cultural historian 96 FANS           40cmH Vienna 142 Kapa tie and sennit wrapping on handle. (1778–9) 35cmH Hannover 1854#15 (handle side view enlarged) Collected during Cook’s third voyage (1778–1779) Fans Pe‘ahi From time immemorial coconut-leaflet fans have been used to fan fires, shoo flies, shield eyes from the sun, and stir up cool breezes. Coarse palm fans were plaited from folded whole leaflets and finer ones from stripped folded leaflets. Although the triangular coconut fan is found across the Pacific, the carefully crafted crescent-shaped fan is unique to Hawai‘i, which raises the question: Why did no one write about them while they were still in use. The earliest depictions date from Jacques Arago’s 1819 visit; the drawngs do not show the fans being used, but as tattoos on a man’s arm and a woman’s chest. The earliest finely made Hawaiian fans collected have nearly square rectangular blades; later blades were narrower in height, wider, and curved. All were made from the tip ends of young, very finely stripped (about 2mm wide) palm leaflets plaited in combinations of horizontal and vertical twills stiffened with leaflet midribs. The fans were completed by rolling and binding the unwoven strips together to form the outer part of the triangular upper handle and the handle itself. This rolled section was covered with combinations of coconut fiber cordage, human hair, and wool in a variety of woven patterns. The upper, triangular part of the handle was either worked as a continuation of the plaiting above or was covered with inserted weaving. Many are finished with a small cordage loop affixed to the bottom tip. Nearly all the fine fans in collections worldwide are presented here. Links to the Past 99 Handle and lower part of the fan covered with         25cmW BrM Oc,Haw.164 Supporting leaf material extends beyond the handle. 19.7cmW 30.5H Edinburgh A.UC.400c          30.5cmW PR 1886.1.1414.2         coconut midribs inserted in every second vertical row.  !"$"$%&%'* &+!$ 100 Fans Handle and lower edge of fan bound with          Collected during Vancouver’s 1792 voyage. 32cmW BrM Oc,Van.294   ::         hair cordage. Collected during Vancouver’s 1792 voyage. 37cmW Canterbury E149.47 Handle and lower edge of fan bound with         Collected during Vancouver’s 1792 voyage. 35.2cmW BrM Oc,Van.293 Links to the Past 101 Handle and lower edge of fan are bound with         33cmW BrM Oc.414   ::     $%"';  ?@$JJ The lower part of the fan and the lower edges and handle are bound with coconut      Collected during Vancouver’s 1792 voyage. 40cmW BrM Oc,Van.292 The lower part of the fan and the lower edges and handle are bound with        "!='[\] &"     :     40.3cmW PR 1884.93.11 Links to the Past 103 104 Fans ^  :       _  ` 48.5cmW PE E18042 : !^  :   _      52cmW PE E5353 Links to the Past 105 Handle bound in human hair with tan accent. Inset is of black, red, and tan wool. 51cmW C1910.346 Collected during the Krusenstern expedition. (1803-6). 53cmW Munich 180 : !^  :    Handle bound in brown and tan. Inset is black and red. 40cmW PE E5352 Collected ~1819 on the Uranie ^  ::            57cmW Montpellier UM2 2912 Fans ?@[j : ;[>   { 106 Links to the Past 107 ^  :       _  `=';>>!J$$ Pattern on lower part of fan is repeating stripes of green, brown, green, orange with one dark green stripe. Handle bound in brown and tan. 81.8cmW...