CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Paddle | kiped
vor 1900
About the object
This paddle is very old and was used to steer a canoe. Today, the "paddle" is a meaningful symbol on the Marshall Islands. It is considered an expression of leadership qualities and is used ceremonially to acknowledge a change in office or status, for example, the assumption of office of a female university chancellor, in order to signify the piloting of an institution. It also connotes matrilineal social order, symbolising maternal care and responsibility.