Tribal Art & Antiquities - 19th February 2020
Lot 725
An Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) fish hook Polynesia with fibre binding
Estimate £200 - £300 | Hammer £480
+ Buyers Premium
Description
An Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) fish hook
Polynesia
with fibre binding,
17.5cm high.
cf. Blau & Maaz. Fish Hooks of the Pacific Islands, 2012, pl.76 for similar.
This type of hook was made to catch Ruvettus fish (oilfish) and only the Tautai (master fisherman) were permitted to make them. "They carve both the shank and the point out of Pemphis acidula wood (which is denser and therefore heavier than water), and tie the two pieces together with a kafa binding."