Set of fishing tackle: cotton cordage attached to rectangular Mother-of Pearl shell lures(4); 1 steel and 3 shell hooks. The shell hooks are attached to mother-of-pearl backs with finer white cotton twine and/or black cotton thread by wrapping in two places: once in or above the crook of the hook, and once through a hole drilled through the bottom of the hook. The fishing lines are looped around the base of the hooks, secured with the two sets of thread in the hook area, then secured to the top of the shell backbone with cotton twine through a hole drilled at the top of each shell back. The steel hook hangs loosely now, but was once tied to the shell back as indicated by a rust accretion on the center of the shell. Two of the shell hook lures also have sea lion whiskers tied in the bottom cord/thread wrapping. Length of lures ca. 8.7 cm.
Donor:
William Henry "Harry" Close
Collection place:
Marquesas, French Polynesia
Verbatim coll. place:
Oceania, Polynesia, Marquesas attr.
Culture or time period:
Marquesan
Materials:
Cotton (textile), Mother of pearl, Steel (alloy), and Whisker (hair material)