Koa "Fishhook" Might Be a Mongoose

Lots of mongooses live around our home, so we have become well acquainted. This carving attempts to catch their character at the same time it also catches the character of a much earlier Hawaiian symbol, the fishhook. Hawaiians carved lots of these out of bone and other materials, both to catch fish and as personal decoration and my koa hook roughly imitates their traditional form.

The fishhook is there because I found it in the grain of my koa and decided to try to bring it out. That was the whole idea, at first. I cannot explain why I began to also carve a mongoose into what started out as a pure fishhook, but while I was carving I saw an opportunity to do it, so did. Such challenging opportunities do not come along every day. And indeed, doing a dual role did animate the wood very strangely as I hoped.

This carving is in koa, grown and harvested on the Big Island. There are several patches of lighter wood on the surface, and other irregularities that I like. The little red eyes are from Arley's stash; I am not sure what they are made of. The Fishhook is about twelve inches by eight inches by three inches. On the underside of a foot is carved the word "HOWARD".

Koa "Fishhook" Carving . . . . . . . . . .$ 600