Pre-Christian deity images of the Society Islands are extremely diverse in form and function. While ti‘i images of wood or stone generally take an anthropomorphic form, to'o images like this one are more abstract representations. Some to‘o have a core of carved and polished wood wrapped in barkcloth, feathers, and plaited coconut fibre; some also have eyes, arms and legs. This example, however, is aniconic and seems to be composed entirely of coir. A central hank of plaited and folded coir has been wrapped in a knotted cover, then tightly bound together. The plaiting and application of fibre wrappings and bindings was a central part of traditional Oceanic religion; these activities, carried out in conjunction with the reciting of appropriate chants and prayers, were understood to bind metaphysical efficacy (mana) into fibre-work constructions, both consecrating them and insulating their dangerous power.