Fish Lure (Pa)
ClassificationsTools and Equipment-fishing equipment
Culture
Tongan
Date19th Century
Made AtTonga
Collection SiteTonga
MediumSperm whale tooth, marine turtle, bivalve mollusk shell, sennit cordage
DimensionsWith Sennit Extended: 8 1/4 × 3 1/4 × 2 3/8 in. (21 × 8.3 × 6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mark Blackburn
Object number2018.9.2
DescriptionThis is a 19th Century Tongan Bonito fishing lure or pa. Though a similarly designed lure was used to catch bonito fish in the waters surrounding the Tongan Islands, both the length and the presence of a barb on this lure’s hook indicate that it was used to catch tuna or kingfish. The size of these larger fish required that lures be reinforced with whale bone or teeth. When paired with a reflective mother-of-pearl plate, the combination was highly effective at attracting Tongan fishermen’s desired catches.On View
On viewCollections
20th Century
mid to late 20th Century
19th Century
late 19th to mid 20th Century
20th Century
20th Century
20th Century
20th Century
mid to late 1800s
c. 1890