Pā Kahawai (trolling lure)

item details

NamePā Kahawai (trolling lure)

ProductionUnknown; craftsman; 1800 / 1900; New Zealand

Classificationfishhooks

Materialspounamu, ivory, pāua (abalone shell), kiekie (fibre), tooth

Materials SummarySperm whale tooth, paua shell, pounamu, kiekie. Note: This is likely to be Boar ivory or similar.

Techniquescarving, abrasion, assembling

DimensionsOverall: 53mm (width), 153mm (length), 17mm (depth)

Registration NumberME011848

Credit linePurchased 1968

Overview

Pā kahawai are trolling lures designed to attract and hook large surface-feeding fish, such as kahawai (Arripis trutta). Adapted from Polynesian trolling lures, pā kahawai are composite lures typically constructed using a ground and shaped pāua (New Zealand abalone) shell lure set in a wooden shank with a bone barb fixed at the base and bound tightly with muka (flax fibre) cord.

An unique example
This pā kahawai is unique because it has been made from the finest materials available. The shank is ivory, likely boar tusk, and a pāua shell inlay has been carefully selected and fitted to it. The three-point pounamu (New Zealand greenstone) barb is expertly fashioned, and the ends of the hook are tightly bound by three-ply kiekie (Freycinetia baueriana) fibre cord dyed in natural plant extracts.

The care that has gone into the creation of this pā kahawai suggest it was created for a purpose beyond catching fish. Although its exact use and purpose are not known to us today, it would have been a taonga treasured by its owner.