Tribal Basket and Cult hooks from Papua New Guinea

Basket, Haus and Clan Hooks come in all sizes from ones the size of your hand to others over 6 feet (2 meters) high. Usually they are carved out of single piece of wood in a double fish hook shape. In the Highlands of Irian Jaya, two to four curved pig tusks will be used for hooks and bilum string used to bind them to a center rod.

Each area and village has its typical style. Some are quite simple. Others are elaborately carved and brightly painted. They may be decorated with shells, feathers, anything that adds to the visual power of the piece. A figure often represent an ancestor from the early history of the group. Other possibilities are crocodiles, cockatoos or significant local wildlife.

A hook which has been used for a very long time will develop a smooth patina along the top rims of the hooks where the storage bags hung. For a collector, a basket hook is a true ethnographic artifact, as well as a piece which is artistically interesting as well.