A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly mae of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the presiding officer's authority and right to act officially in his capacity, and as such, is used by presiding officers—notably chairmen and auctioneers—to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations. It is customarily struck to indicate the opening and closing of proceedings, giving rise to the phrase "gavel-to-gavel" to describe the entirety of a meeting or session.