Micronesia, Marshall Islands, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A huge mother of pearl shell fish hook, made of two pieces - one larger and broader, the other smaller and sharper - tightly bound together using sennit cord. In the matriachal traditional culture of the Marshall Islands, fishing was the domain of men, while women cared for the land. There were dozens of different fishing methods including hooks and nets. Fish hooks like this one were used to capture medium-sized fish whose mouths were small enough to not fully encompass the entirety of the hook, but large enough to be pierced by the sharper part of the shell. Size: 2.5" W x 3.5" H (6.4 cm x 8.9 cm); 4.35" H (11 cm) on included custom stand.

See a very similar example at the Yale Peabody Museum (YPM ANT 021401).

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Abe Rosman collection, New York City, New York, USA, 1960 to 2000

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#153893

Rich patina on all surfaces, with light deposits on the shell.