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Narrative

This wooden suspension hook was carved by Mer craftsmen specializing in carpentry. In Mer households these hooks are principally used for hanging up leather articles like shoes and straps. Thy are also very useful in monsoon season to protect leather water-bags not in use from rodents. Sometimes onions and garlic are tied to these suspended hooks to dry, others us them next to the front door to place coiled turbans upon each of the individual horses' heads. The hooks are always hung inside a house, never outside. The suspension rope is tied to a house ridgepole so the ankedi (hook) can swing freely in a room or loft.

Description

Brown, wooden suspension hook made from four upward curving 'branches', the ends of which are carved into four horse heads. The necks of the horse’s heads are decorated with chiseled parallel grooves. From the mouth of each of the four horse heads there are carved knobs suspended. There is also another set of knobs attached lower down on the horses' necks. The bottom end of these four horse head branches are inserted into the lower end of a central carved vertical pole, into a carved square box shape and are arranged so that they are diametrically opposite each other. At the end of the box there is a projection onto which is attached a wooden knob. The middle section of the hook is comprised of four twisted columns that meet at a mid-point in a carved knot design. The top of the hook is a carved wooden disc where seven carved wooden knobs are attached. The knobs are the same as those found in the horses’ mouth and on the horses’ neck. An iron ring is attached to the disc that is used to suspend the hook.