Suspension Hook

Item number Ie359 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

Basket hook with a shaft formed by a male figure carved in profile with an extended nose and mouth that down to his belly, and his hands hold the nose. A cord is attached for hanging through a hole at the top of the figure's head. The hook is double-sided.

History Of Use

Hooks are used to suspend ceremonial and domestic goods, female hooks are used for domestic purposes. The female hooks represent images of food spirits and by extension, of fertility. Domestic hooks may represent female ancestors, revered as protectors of the home and family. Hooks used to suspend ceremonial goods in the spirit houses are always male and are thought to contain ancestor spirits which protect the contents and the owners.