Suspension hook

Description

wood, reddish brown patina, small traces of black paint, sickle-shaped hook, carved with a stylized figure, the eyes originally with cowrie snail inlay (now missing), reduced curvilinear ornaments, slightly dam., cracks, small traces of insect caused damage, socle;
figural hooks were integral components of men’s houses, serving two primary functions, both protective. The first was practical. The sculptures were hung from the rafters or eves, with valuable foods and personal items hung on their hooks, keeping them away from the numerous vermin. The second was the protection the hooks gave as intermediaries to the inhabitant ancestral spirits.