Accession No

Z 6841


Description

Bundles of yellow and red feathers used as fishing bait.


Place

Oceania; Melanesia; Solomon Islands


Period


Source

Still, John (Reverend) [field collector and donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

Z 6841; MAA: ?E 1901.193; AR 1902.1313


Cultural Affliation


Material

Feather


Local Term


Measurements

140mm


Events

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for Z 6841: 'Group of coloured feather for bait'.
Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau


Context (Field collection)
The Reverend John Still joined the Melanesian Mission of the Church of England in 1873. Based on Norfolk Island, he made frequent visits to the islands in the diocese comprising the groups then known as Santa Cruz, Banks, Torres, Solomon and New Hebrides. He returned to England in 1878. The State Library of New South Wales holds his diary, 1875-1878, a daily account of mission activities including periodic voyages to French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands with descriptions of islanders and their customs. Some of the labels found on objects collected by Still state '1874' which is likely to be a date of collection.
Event Date 1874
Author: maa


Context (References)
Illustrated in Lucie Carreau. 2016. Collections from the Solomon Islands. Cambridge: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.13275, p.22.
Event Date 2016
Author: Lucie Carreau


Context (Amendments / updates)
It is unclear whether E 1901.193 (a minute shell fishhook) and Z 6841 (bundles of feathers used as fishing bait) originallly formed a single objects. The accession register and catalogue card for E 1901.193 do not mention the feather bait. But all the cards referring to Z 6841 also list E 1901.193 as its museum number.

While E 1901.193 has been kept as a potential number for this object in MAA's other no. field, the Z number has been kept as its primary IDNO to prevent confusion.
Event Date 09/10/2025
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Bundles of yellow and red feathers used as fishing bait.
Event Date 9/10/2025
Author: Lucie Carreau


FM:267467

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