Leho he‘e

human history

Leho he‘e. Squid or octopus lure. The fishing process involved submerging the leho he‘e into the water and shaking it up and down to attract the he‘e (octopus or squid). This leho he‘e is made of several components, namely two brown speckled leho (cowrie shells) perforated and layered together against a conical limestone sinker with a long wooden stem extending upwards from the base and plant fibre lashing all components together securely. A short length of plant fibre cord trails off from the main form. One leho has a large hole visible on the surface. The limestone sinker has large cracks in the surface also. Absent from this example is a hackle that may have been attached to increase the chances of successfully procuring a he‘e. The leho he‘e is brown in colour.

Accession number: 1934.124 Last Update: 14 Apr 2026
Other Name

Squid lure (English)

Accession Number

1934.124

Accession Date

1934

Other Id

20086.2 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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Leho he‘e, 1934.124, 20086.2, Photographed by Denise Baynham, digital, 28 Mar 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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