Summary

Suspension hooks, known as 'samban' are common household items, used to suspend food in both family houses and in men's cult houses. Food or other items are placed inside string bags and hung from the hook. If the contents of the bag are valuable, a flat circular disk is placed above the hook to prevent rats climbing down the rope to get into the bags. While utilitarian, they may be elaborately carved and painted with representations of clan ancestors or clan totems. It is not thought that the 'samban' embodies the ancestor or totems. This hook represents a female figure wearing a woven rattan collar. The three hooks upon which she stands are carved in the form of catfish, a common clan totem.

Physical Description

Carved in the form of a female standing ontop of three fish, their tails pointing upwards.

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