Samoan Fan

Hand-held fans have been used by people across the Pacific Islands for hundreds of years to keep cool in the tropical climate. People give fans as gifts and use them as decorative items to display in their homes. Dancers frequently carry fans as accessories to their costumes and to emphasize their movements. Additionally, fans are a popular item sold to tourists.

This Samoan fan, known as an ili, is constructed of woven plant fiber with a wooden handle. The fiber is likely palm or pandanus, another palm-like plant that grows on the Samoan islands. These materials are typical of fans from Samoa. However, Samoans also construct fans from barkcloth and decorate with dyes, feathers, and shells.

The shape of this Samoan fan may represent the end of a canoe paddle or spear point. The shape and the numerous holes may indicate that this fan had a more decorative purpose.

Other objects from the Pacific Islands that have been featured for Artifact of the Month include shell plaques from the Solomon Islands and barkcloth from Tonga.