EASTER ISLAND CLUBS

[VANDOO]

HERE IS MY EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE LONG PADDLE KNOWN AS "AO" OR THE SMALLER DANCE PADDLES KNOWN AS "RAPA". UNLIKE ALL OTHER PADDLES IN OCEANIA ,THE STANDARDIZED PADDLE USED IN EASTER ISLAND HAD A BLADE ON EACH END. MANY PADDLES THE WORLD OVER ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR PADDLING BUT MAY ALSO SERVE AS A CLUB OR SPEAR IF NEEDED.
I AM NOT SURE WHERE MY EXAMPLE FALLS IT IS 47 INCHES LONG AND MOST LIKELY A RAPA OR DANCE PADDLE. BOTH TYPES WERE TWIRLED AND SHAKEN IN THE HANDS DURING CEREMONIAL DANCES. THE EARLIEST COLLECTED "RAPA WAS COLLECTED BY CAPTAIN COOK IN 1775 AND THE EARLIEST KNOWN "AO" LONG PADDLE COLLECTED IN 1884. COOK'S RAPA HAS A FACE CARVED ON EACH SIDE OF ONE END WITH EYES MADE OF SHARK VERTEBRAE WITH BLACK OBSIDIAN STONE CENTERS MUCH LIKE MY EXAMPLE. SOME EXAMPLES WERE CARVED AND SOME PAINTED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RAPA AND AO IS MOSTLY IN SIZE AND DECORATION. A PADDLE SHAPED STAFF OF HONOR WAS A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY. SPECIMENS FROM EASTER ISLAND SHOW THAT THE UPPER BLADE WAS INVARIABLY DECORATED AS A CONVENTIONALIZED HUMAN HEAD WITH TWO CHARACTERISTICS. VERTICAL BANDS ON TOP REPRESENTING THE FEATHER CROWN, AND ELONGATED EARS WITH PENDANT DISKS ON EACH SIDE REPRESENTING EAR PLUGS.
I ALSO INCLUDE SOME PICTURES OF SOME RECENT RONGO BOARDS. #1, THRU #3. MY RAPA
#4. & #5 BOTH SIDES OF EXAMPLE A
#6 & #7. BOTH SIDES OF EXAMPLE B
#8. ANOTHER RECENT TOURIST ITEM.
#9. A NICE BOARD AND MASK
#10. A NICE MODERN RAPA DANCE PADDLE