Barkcloth beater, i′e, of wood, from the Society Islands (probably Tahiti); part of the Banks collection (1886.1.383)

Barkcloth beater. Square section with rounded handle. Each side of the mallet is grooved along the entire length of the flattened portion with rows of almost perfectly straight lines. The depth of the grooves, and the distance between the grooves varies on each side of the beater so that on one side the grooves are deep and wide apart and on the next side they are closer apart, and so on. The final side is very finely grooved. The tip of the mallet is not grooved but has been carved with a 'Z'-shape in relief

• Museum database entry.