Fine and Rare Canoe Paddle, Hawaiian Islands
hoe
Wood
Length 65 1/2in (165cm)

Provenance
Hawaiian Family Private Collection
Moana Kea Galleries, Kamuela/Waimea
California Private Collection

The straight thick shaft with a short wide oval blade; the upper part of the blade forms an angular shoulder with the shaft, then makes a wide curve towards the sides; the shaft continues down the blade a few inches, forming a leaf-like midrib on both sides; the blade gradually becoming thinner around the edges; fine light brown patina.

Full-size Hawaiian paddles are quite rare, with only thirty-six examples in The Bishop Museum Collection, Honolulu. (Buck, Peter, Arts and Crafts of Hawaii, British Museum Press, Honolulu, p. 277)

Age distress lines, abrasions, scratches, nicks, dents and wear consistent with age.