Native American, Pacific Northwest, Inuit, ca. mid 20th century CE. A fine example of a hand-carved, decorated wooden halibut hook. The hook has a slingshot shape, with two arms that meet in a "V". One arm is carved into a broad, flattened fish shape, with brass tacks serving as eyes; the fish has a nicely textured surface, with incised lines and dots giving it the impression of scales. This hook style was designed to capture the correct size of halibut, who feed by opening their mouths wide. If the fish was too small, it would not be able to hook itself; if the fish was too large (and might capsize a small boat), it would put the entire hook in its mouth and not be barbed. Over time, hooks like these were replaced by non-wood technology, but they continued to be carved as pieces of art. Size: 11.9" L x 4.5" W x 2.25" H (30.2 cm x 11.4 cm x 5.7 cm); 3.55" H (9 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#133553

Very nice dark patina on the wood surface and on the brass.