Hook

Item number 1951.6.58 from the Pitt Rivers Museum.

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Description

Wooden halibut hook with bone barb lashed on and carved with a frog and a notched, ridged extension. [CAK 26/06/2009]

Display History

This object was removed from 60 Banbury Road display 'Quest for Animal Protein' when this was dismantled. [MdeA 27/11/2001]

Longer Description

Wooden halibut hook with bone barb lashed on and carved with a frog and a notched, ridged extension. The hook has been carved from two pieces of wood and nailed and lashed together with string to form an acute angle. One arm of the hook is carved from yew wood with a frog. The arm extends beyond the frog, tapering toward the end, and carved with a notched ridge. The ridge has been perforated and a length of cord, knotted on either end, inserted through the hole. The other arm of the hook is plainly carved from hemlock. A carved bone barb is lashed on with two lengths of string of different thicknesses. The barb is positioned such that it faces toward the first arm. [CAK 29/06/2009]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This hook was viewed alongside other fishing hooks on Monday Sept 14, 2009. Delegates identified this as a halibut hook, and Christian White clarified that the size of the hook indicated it was used for catching large halibut (i.e. only large fish would be able to bite down on the large hook and barb). Delegates also consistently identified the figure as a frog, though some wondered if the frog's ribs were also depicted, or if the notches represented a kind of tally, or created a noise. The materials were described as yew wood and hemlock. It was observed that this hook was well used as evidenced by all the teeth marks on the bottom.
The hooks and wood are bound together using particular tying techniques. This involves laying a length of thread loose along the length of the wood that is to be bound to the hook and binding that under the wound cord. Once enough cord has been wound about the wood and hook this thread is picked back up and used to tie the other end off and to clamp together the sinew / fibres used to tie the hook up. This helps to guard against the binding coming loose as the hook is submerged and begins to absorb water, or as the fish takes hold.
To gauge the hook size a maker would use the width of their thumb across the joint inserted between the bone hook and the outer wooden frame. [CAK 20/05/2010]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry - WELLCOME HISTORICAL MEDICAL MUSEUM, 28 PORTMAN SQUARE, LONDON, W.1...1951.6.58 HAIDA INDIANS. Wooden halibut hook with bone barb lashed on. Upper part of shank carved with frog (or ?lizard). Max. Length 24.8 cm.

There is no further information on the catalogue card. [CW 11 6 98]

Old Pitt Rivers Museum display label - 'Halibut hook. Wood, bone, fibre. Haida Indians, British Columbia.' [MdeA 27/11/2001]

Written on object - No 8 P S [MJD 02/04/2009]

Related Documents File - Letter from E. Ashworth Underwood [Director, The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum] to T. K. Penniman dated 30 January, 1951, inviting the Pitt Rivers Museum to send a representative to select items from the Wellcome collection, housed temporarily at the British Museum. [GI 4/2/2002]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]