Matau (fishhook)

This is a matau (fishhook) from the Society Islands. It is made from a single piece of wood carved into a long V hook form. A small sharpened piece of shell has been lashed to one end of the hook with fibre to create a point. A short length of cord (the remains of a line) is attached to the shank.

Lord St Oswald Collection

This matau is part of the Lord St Oswald Collection - which contains objects that have a direct connection with the Pacific voyages of 18th century English explorer James Cook. They were acquired by the English collector William Bullock from various sources. Some came from the sale of the Leverian Museum collection in London in 1806. Others were given to him by Sir Joseph Banks a scientist who accompanied Cook to the Pacific. Some items came from other private collectors. Bullock displayed them in his own museum in London.

Acquisition history

In 1819, Bullock sold his entire collection. The items now in Te Papa were bought by Charles Winn (1795?1874) for his private collection. In 1912, after they had been in the Winn family for nearly one hundred years. Charles Winn's grandson, the Second Baron St Oswald, gave them 'to the Dominion of New Zealand'. The gift came as a complete surprise to the Museum's director, Augustus Hamilton. He commented in a letter at the time, 'Goodness knows what the reason was that prompted Lord St Oswald to send them out to New Zealand.' Today they are regarded as treasures that connect us with our Pacific and Maori ancestors, as well as the history of European exploration in the Pacific.