1887.1.39

Collection type

Object

Description

Curved and thick shell fish hook with barb bound to string line.

Geographical reference

Tuvalu

Oceania > Polynesia > Tuvalu

Person

Field collector Samuel James Whitmee

PRM source Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1870

Date collected

By 1870

Acquisition information

Transferred: 1886

Materials and processes

Material Shell, Material String, Process Carved, Process Bound, Process Twisted

Dimensions

Width: max 44 mm hook, Length: max 44 mm hook

Object numbers

Accession number: 1887.1.39

Research and responses

It is possible that this fish hook is one of the ones collected by Samuel J. Whitmee and given to University Museum via George Rolleston see 1887.1.469-471, 474-5 [AP 04/09/2012]

Associated publications

Illustrated with 1887.1.38 and 1887.1.40 in Figure 11 (line drawing) on page 26 in Fish Hooks (Pacific Island Records), by Harry G. Beasley (London: Seeley, Service & Co., Ltd, 1928). Beasley writes (page 26-27) under the heading 'Part I. Polynesia' and sub-headings 'Ellice Group' and 'Hooks of Pearl Shell in One Piece': 'The use of this class of hook would, judged by its scarcity, appear to have been very restricted, even in the early days, and excepting the metal hooks made after the old forms, to have long passed out of use. Mr Hedley [footnote 1 refers to Hedley, The Atoll of Funafuti, Bulletin, No. 3, Sydney Museum, 1897, Part IV), when he visited Funafuti in 1896, failed to secure a single specimen, although one was seen in native hands, of which fig. 11a [sic; actually Fig. 11b] is a copy. He gives the name as "matau'tifa." Excepting this solitary example, I have only found three others, fortunately of undoubted authenticity, and I am indebted to Mr Balfour, of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, for permission to include them here. The close resemblance of these to that figured by Mr Headley [sic] is obvious, the sole difference being the position of [26/27] the outer barb, which may be a draughtman's error, or more probably due to the taste of the maker. Figure 11 shows a very good illustration of these hooks. Their excessive thickness is remarkable, the broken specimen in the centre [1887.1.39] showing this to advantage. The snoods are of unnecessary thickness, being composed of twisted hibiscus fibre (fo-tangata); these do not end in the customary loop, but by a knot, whilst the attachment of the snoods to the shanks is clumsy, being further whipped with brown fibre. That on the left [1887.1.38] still retains portions of the original feather hackle, an occurrence I have failed to find connected with this class of hook from other [island] Groups. The measurements are 1 7/16 in. (3.7 cm.) in length, while that on the right is 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm.) long.' [JC 24 6 2016]

Search terms: Fishing, Hook, Fishing Accessory