A 19th century or earlier Austral Islands paddle with all over carved decoration, the large leaf shaped blade with incised concentric sun motifs and chip carved x's with further incised bands and borders, the shaft incised in the round terminating in a capital detailing eight stylised masks presented in traditional head dress, the top detailed with a central concentric sun motif, below a pierced frieze, 128 cm long, of tribal / Polynesian / Papua New Guinea / Oceanic interest.