ITS CALLED A DANCE PADDLE THEY ARE NICELY CARVED ON BOTH SIDES AND SHORTER THAN A OLDER FORM OF CEREMONIAL CHIEFS PADDLE CALLED A HOE. I AM NOT SURE WHEN THE SHORTER FORM OF DANCE PADDLE CAME INTO BEING BUT THE EXAMPLE I HAVE WAS COLLECTED IN THE EARLY 1930'S AND IS 33 INCHES LONG. I ASSUME THEY WERE USED IN CERTIAN TRADITIONAL DANCES PERHAPS TELLING THE STORIES OF THE VOYAGES OF THEIR ANCESTORS. THE SHORTER FORMS MAY HAVE ORIGINATED TO FIT IN TRAVELERS LUGGAGE JUST A GUESS.
HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE MORE RECENT SHORTER PADDLES # 1 &2 NO MEASUREMENTS. #3. 48 X 7 CM. LONG
#4 THRU #7, 50 INCH LONG. #8, 9 &10 NO MEASUREMENTS.
I STILL CLASS THE 50 INCH ONE AS A NEWER TYPE BASED ON ITS FORM.
|