Plastering dates back to the earliest days of construction. People used mud and later lime plaster to cover sticks and reeds.
Through and through plasterers used hawks to transport material for application to walls.
They made their hawks from a piece of board with a handle attached to the bottom...and that basic design hasn't changed since!
Traditional Japanese plastering hawks
One notable style of stucco hawk is the one commonly used in classic Japanese stucco, which gives very fine finishes in a variety of colors and textures.
There is a significant ritual around the trowels (over a hundred different types!) and other tools involved.
This style of hawk is still handcrafted by traditional plasterers; its rustic simplicity reflects the "wabi-sabi" (imperfect beauty) aesthetic that infuses traditional Japanese architecture. The two outer corners of the board are removed so that they do not accidentally hit the plaster.
