Octopus lure weight - Lot 66

Octopus lure weight Tahiti or Hawaii, Polynesia Carved stone L. 8,5 cm Carved, rounded basalt stone with a groove around the edge, originally used to attach a tie. This stone was used as ballast for octopus fishing lures. These fishing weights were attached to a shell lure, itself mounted on a wooden rod and concealing a hook. A handwritten label indicates a Hawaiian origin, although a Tahitian origin is also possible, comparable examples being preserved at the Musée de Tahiti et des Iles in Papeete. Condition report: RAS, the handwritten label probably corresponds to a provenance ex Fortess collection in Hawaii but this could neither be confirmed nor denied by the previous owners.