Trap stick

Although these implements are referred to widely as ‘trap sticks’, their exact function is not known. Some examples in the American Museum of Natural History in New York have marmot snares attached to them, but, as Holm (1983:90) observes in his description of a comparable piece, their ‘very specific and uniform shape implies a much more complex function than a tethering pin’. In many examples the lower part shows signs of abrasion or chewing, which suggests their role as part of a trap mechanism.

The carved finials on trap sticks frequently depict an animal on the back of a human figure, an arrangement which probably has sexual connotations and is also found in other contexts (see Maurer, 1977:290). This imagery may also be seen as the reverse of the usual hunting procedure, and was possibly connected with a mythic episode, reference to which made the trap more effective, since, in hunting as in all things, mere technical efficiency would not alone guarantee success. Here the human figure, with prominent rib-cage, has slender folded legs. The animal resembles a bear, though it has a long tail. The piece has the appearance of great antiquity, consistent with the fact that metal traps quickly superseded local methods in the early nineteenth century.

Steven Hooper, 1997

Entry taken from Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, Vol. 2: Pacific, African and Native North American Art, edited by Steven Hooper (Yale University Press, 1997) p. 270.

Though recorded as a ‘trapstick’ for use with a snare, this intricately carved piece of whalebone was a key part of a shaman’s equipment. Worn tangled in their long dreadlocks and incised with spirit figures, it was important in the ceremonies summoning and communicating with spirits, providing a catalyst for the passing of information between the physical world and that of the supernatural.