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Maea sele malie

human history
  • Other Name

    Coiled lasso (English)

  • Description

    Maea sele malie. Shark lasso. This is a maea sele malie made of a fibre maea (rope) and 'afa (sennit). The maea is made from synthetic materials introduced to Samoa. The maea is tied to create a slip noose to fit around the throat of a malie (shark). The noose, and the end of the maea are then fausaga (bound) using 'afa to strengthen it. The entire length of the maea sele malie is coloured a light brown and it has a fibrous texture.

    This maea sele malie would have been used for tiuga malie (shark hunting). When a malie is spotted during a fishing expedition, bait in the form of fish or pork is poured into the sea. The tautai (fisherman) then uses the maea sele malie to catch the malie before beating it with a paletua (club).

  • Place
    Samoa/Pacific
  • Accession Number
    1973.16
  • Accession Date
    1973
  • Other Id

    45935 (ethnology)

  • Department

    Pacific

Lasso, 1973.16, 45935, Cultural Permissions Apply

Images and documents

Images

  • Lasso, 1973.16, 45935, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Lasso, 1973.16, 45935, Cultural Permissions Apply
  • Lasso, 1973.16, 45935, Cultural Permissions Apply

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