A Maori Shark Hook (matau)...

Description

A Maori Shark Hook (matau)
New Zealand, c. 1750-1800

Large shark hook with a barbed bone point affixed to a circular shank formed of bent wood tied onto a braided and wrapped fiber snood line. Inscribed "Web Col 1812" in ink on barbed point. In very good condition, appropriate for age, use, and mediums; hairline cracks on the bent wood original to the piece. With a metal stand.

Provenance:
A Private Collection, New York, NY, acquired in 1988
Wayne Heathcote
Kenneth Webster Collection, London, no. 1812

Width of hook: 4 inches; fiber cord is 21 inches long

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