Wooden fish hook bent into an egg-like shape, with cedar bark wrapping near ends and twisted cedar bark line. [CAK 29/06/2009]

Collection type: Object
Description: Wooden fish hook bent into an egg-like shape, with cedar bark wrapping near ends and twisted cedar bark line. [CAK 29/06/2009]
Long description: Wooden fish hook bent into an egg-like shape, with cedar bark wrapping near ends and twisted cedar bark line. The hook is smoothly and plainly carved from yew wood. It has been steamed and bent into an egg-shape, the two ends overlapping to one side of the 'top' of the egg. One end narrows before widening slightly and forming a conical point. Just below the conical point is tied a length of twisted cedar bark rope. The other end is carved to a point. A plain strip of cedar bark is wrapped around this end and around the top of the egg to the other side of the hook, and across the hook itself. Another strip of cedar bark is tied to this configuration and is wound around the width of the hook, supposedly to retain the hook's shape. [CAK 29/06/2009]
Geographical reference: Canada
Northern America > North America > Canada; British Columbia Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) Gold Harbour
Cultural groups: Haida
Person: Field collector Gerald Thomas Fleetwood Pike; PRM source Stevens Auction Rooms
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1923
Date collected: By 1923
Acquisition information: Purchased: 1923
Materials and processes: Material Yew Wood Plant, Material Bark Fibre Plant, Process Bound, Process Carved, Process Twisted, Process Steamed, Process Bent
Dimensions: Length: max 155 mm, Width: max 120 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1923.71.41 Other numbers: 135
Research and responses: The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum’s collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge” :
The hook was viewed alongside other fish hooks and clubs on Monday, Sept 14, 2009. Haidas consistently identified this hook as a cod hook, and some specified that it would be used for black cod. The local name, skil t'aawal, was provided by Candace Weir. The identifications were based on the smaller size head of this hook as well as that of 1923.71.40. Such small heads were generally used to catch cod or skate. [CAK 03/02/2010]
Within the Haida project's Flickr site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/haida_prm), Nika Collison identified a similarly shaped hook, 1923.71.40, as a black cod hook. [CAK 02/07/2009]

Search terms: Fishing, Hook, Fishing Accessory, Line