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Te matau

human history
  • Other Name

    Fish hook (English)

  • Description

    Te matau. Fish hook. This te matau is made of the following components: te rabatan te matau (shank), te tabon te matau (point), lashing and a hackle. Te rabatan is made from te bwaeo (mother of pearl shell). It is pale yellow and off-white in colour with some shimmer. It has been filed into a length where one end has been tapered into a small point and the other end into a flat spatulate shape. It has been cut from the lip of the shell.

    This is defined by its depth where the small pointed end shows the ridge of the lip. Among this section a small circular perforation has been drilled into the side. This would be where te ao (line) would be inserted. A small circular cavity features in the flat side of te rabatan te matau. The spatulate end of te rabatan te matau has been utilized in lashing te tabon te matau (point) and a short hackle of te ira (hair). Te tabon te matau is made from copper. It appears to have been worked into its current form, a slim cone-like form that curves towards the flat side of te rabatan te matau. It is dark brown in colour with some erosion at its base. An off-white thread has been used to lash it to te rabatan te matau. The hackle of te ira (hair) has been tied across its centre to the te rabatan te matau. It is made up of dark brown strands. The flat side of te rabatan te matau is dappled with small cavities from the shells natural material.

  • Place
  • Accession Number
    1936.295
  • Accession Date
    1936
  • Other Id

    23917.4 (ethnology)

  • Department
Te matau, 1936.295, 23917.4, Photographed by Daan Hoffmann,… … Read more

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