Fishhook - Marshall Islands, Micronesia - 19th Century

Fishhook
Marshall Islands, Micronesia 19th century
Mother-of-pearl and natural fibres
H.: 10.3 ; L.: 3 cm

Hook made from two pieces of mother-of-pearl: the thicker piece forms the shank, while the barb is cut into a point. They are held together by plant fibre ligatures.

According to Ulrich Menter, Senior Curator of the Oceania Department at the Linden Museum in Stuttgart: "The atolls of Namorik (Ralik) and Majuro (Ratak) were chosen as centres for the manufacture of such hooks. It is said that these fishing hooks were important objects of value rather than real fishing equipment."

Bibliography:

- A similar specimen is kept at the Weltmuseum Wien (formerly the Museum für Volkerkunde), the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna, under number 28331 and another at the Linden Museum in Stuttgart under inventory number 058018.

- Similar specimens are reproduced in the book Fish Hooks of the Pa- cific Islands by Daniel Blau and Klaus Maaz, plate 64, page 175 and plates 63/64, pages 174 and 175.

Ref.5527

Text and photos © FCP CORIDON