An Austral Islands paddle Polynesia wood with all over carved decoration of X's

An Austral Islands paddle

Polynesia

wood with all over carved decoration of X's, crescents and sun motifs, with a leaf shape blade and a square shaft with a T shape finial carved and pierced ten dancing girls with notched decoration to the tops of their heads and three sharing a sun motif, early 19th century,

118cm long.

Provenance

Thomas Laslett (1811 - 1887) and thence by descent.

Thomas Laslett (1811 - 1887) started his career as a carpenter on the HMS Buffalo to New Zealand 1833 - 1834, assisting the surveyors. He subsequently became the Timber Inspector for the Admiralty on three more voyages to New Zealand, 1837 - 38, 1839 - 41 and 1841 - 43. This was collected by him on these timber gathering expeditions.