Fish Trap

ClassificationsTools and Equipment-fishing equipment

Date20th Century

Made AtPhilippines, Asia

MediumBamboo

DimensionsOverall: 19 x 30 in. (48.3 x 76.2 cm)

Credit LineBowers Museum Purchase

Object number93.7.1

DescriptionThis large fish trap from the Philippines dates to about the 20th century. Fishing has been a primary means of sustenance for peoples around the world since ancient times. Though the morphology of traps varies greatly from region to region and even within the Philippines where this example hails from, it is a testament to the effectiveness of this type of trap that it is used around the world. Called a bottle trap because it is shaped like a bottle with an inverted funnel, it is usually baited and weighted, tied to a line and tossed into a spot where fish congregate. The brilliant and simple incorporation of the inverted funnel allows fish easy access to the bait but makes it so that they cannot escape.

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