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 coupled together to form an ovoid weight sandwiching a long wooden stem between them. One cowrie is large than the other. Plant fibre lashing secures these components together. 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 dark 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

20086.1 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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13 Images
Leho he‘e, 1934.124, 20086.1, Photographed by Denise Baynham, digital, 28 Mar 2018, Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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