Description

Fish hook of curved single piece of wood with bone point bound with bark fibre. [MJD 02/04/2009]

Longer Description

Fish hook of curved single piece of wood with bone point bound with bark fibre. The hook is smoothly and plainly carved from yew wood. It has been steamed and bent into a U-shape with outward curving ends. One end is thinner and more curved than the other. The thicker end has a carved bone barb positioned on one side of it such that it angles toward the other arm. It is lashed in place by strips of yellow cedar bark. [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 object was viewed alongside other fish hooks and clubs on Monday Sept 14, 2009. It was referred to as a cod hook, black cod hook (skil t'aawal), and also as a small halibut hook by Haida delegates. One delegate offered that smaller halibut are tastier! The lashing was identified as yellow cedar by Christian White. [CAK 03/02/2010]

See Hilary Stewart's book "Indian Fishing: Early methods of the Northwest Coast" (published by Douglas in Vancouver and the University of Washington Press in Seattle in 1977) for information on the construction and use of fish hooks. [CAK 29/06/2009]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry - 'Lieut. Boyle T. Somerville R.N. H.M.S. "Triton"...fish hook of wood and bone, Haida, Queen Charlotte Id., HMS. "Egeria", 1899.

There is no further information on the catalogue card. [CW 8 6 98]

Written on object - HAIDA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE ID. H.M.S "Egeria" 1899. Pres. by Lieut. B. T. Somerville R. N., 1900. [MJD 02/04/2009]

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]