Up for your very rare consideration is a fine Maori fish-hook tab in what appears to be marine mammal tooth.

The Y form notes this as a "Bone Toggle" which in my somewhat informed opinion is very incorrect. The style and construction are completely wrong for an early toggle. Moreover, this appears to be a very early fish-hook tab constructed from a large tooth with the outer sides polished and the first hole sunk through the centre. This would have made a very early one-piece hook. It is very rare to find incomplete examples outside of museums so don't miss your opportunity with this one!

For an example in bone, please see the Auckland museums web-site: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/record/94653?k=fish%20hook%20tab

Dimensions: Length: 29mm Depth: 5mm Width: 19mm

Sand dunes, Gisborne area.

Please note: As this taonga is registered under the Protected Objects Act, it can only be sold to a New Zealand based registered collector. Whilst this is not negotiable, I'm happy to help you through the registration process which is free and painless.

Any questions, please ask.