Figure 22.—Technique of fine fan, Aitutaki. a, piece of thin cord (1) is tied to handle (2) some distance from distal end; two leaflets (3, 3) are placed with butt ends on either side of handle, and the cord makes turn (4) around them. Another pair of leaflets (5, 5) is placed in position below first pair and fixed with another turn (6) of the cord. In this way, successive pairs are added and fixed with spiral turns of the cord until full number of 16 to 24 pairs of leaflets are added. After last pair is added, cord makes several transverse turns close together to cover butt ends. b, two lowest leaflets (1, 2) are crossed obliquely over what is to be back of handle. c, the two leaflets (1, 2) are carried around to front of handle and again crossed in check. d, turning to the back, next pair of leaflets (3, 4) are treated in same way back and front and so on in succession until all pairs have been dealt with. Handle is thus covered by a check plait up to first attached leaflets. e, front of handle showing oblique crossings with leaflet midribs all on distal side. Each leaflet about 6 mm. wide is split into two wefts, the proximal consisting of the two thicknesses of the soft leaf material and the distal of hard stiff midrib. Commencing on the left with lowest leaflet pair (1, 1′), the near soft weft (1′) is turned up parallel with handle and plaited through wefts above it in check. f, next weft, which is stiff midrib part (1), is bent down a short distance and then turned upward parallel to its soft neighbor (1′) to engage other wefts in check. For next movement, the soft weft (3′) will be turned upward and then the hard weft (3). From here on plaiting is exactly the same as that in rough fans (70, pp. 202-205). g, cut off corner: the hard weft (1), bent in as a dextral, forms a boundary which cuts off the sharp corner usual in Rarotongan fans; other sinistrals on reaching it are doubled back into plaiting. Hard weft (1) is then bent at right angles (2) to form a point, soft weft (3) crosses over it to form interspace with next hard weft (4), which also forms a point, and so with next soft weft (5) and next hard weft (6). Thus, hard wefts form the sawlike basal edge of fan.