Rabatan te matau

Rabatan te matau. Shank of a fish hook. Cut from te bwaeao (mother of pearl shell) in a narrow strip that is rectangular in shape. The rabatan (shank) is intended to be used within a composite fish hook for trolling and would have had a point lashed to the serrated-edged end. The other end of the rabatan has a large drilled hole and notched tip, which would have been used to attach a snood and/or a te ao (fishing line) to the hook. The end that has large serrated edges also tapers slightly. Its edges are serrated to allow the point of the matau (fish hook) to be fastened securely to the shank. The rabatan is off-white in colour with a high sheen, particularly on its inner surface. It is smooth overall but has some thick globulous subtance stuck on its outer surface, and some dark markings. Apart from the notches, the edges of the shank have have been ground down smooth and are rougly polished.