14 



Mat and Basket JVt'a^'iiio- 



dcterioration from the ancient standard, and in Samoa the use of other material than 

 palm leaves, and the employment of tawdry d3-es together with much less care in weav- 

 ing mark the modern product. 



Fijian Fans. — Rather coarse, clums3-, but at the same time durable and effective 

 are the fans shown in Fig. 15. I do not claim that this is the only form in use in the Vitian 

 group, where the work in carving and sennit is particularly good, but it is the only form of 







M/ 







♦ ♦ ♦ ^^-. . «? 



- « , 



^^, 







Fig. 15. Fijian palm i.kaf Fans. 



basket work fan that happens to be in this Museum,' and it is noteworthy for a peculiarit}- 

 of stru6lnre. Several strips of the coco leaf are laid together on the upper edges to form 

 a rim, and from these the two-leaf twill weave passes to the base where the ends of the 

 strands are colle(5led for a handle which is braced by braids on both sides of the fan and is 

 wound with sennit. In both fans four strands of dyed leaf are introduced for ornament. 



Marshall Islands Fans. — In Fig. 16 are shown but three fans from a group 

 where basketry flourishes and mats are made of remarkably good design and workman- 

 ship, as will be seen later on when fabrics of pandanus have their turn. To this 

 later page must be referred the central specimen of the group which is of thin pan- 

 danus mat embroidered with red and black fibre. The mat is double and a stick is 

 inserted for handle and covered with brown and black mat work of the same material 

 as the body of the fan. 



'There are kapa and lorloise shell funs in the Vitian collection. 



