Håfa Adai!
Here is a small gallery of hooks that I have carved in the past. Enjoy!
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood), and bone. Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. Owned by Jake Marsh, Kansas, USA.
Asian water buffalo horn, bone, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay. Tribal designs on the black buffalo horn. Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. Owned by Mike Sprinkle, Texas, USA.
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood), and Micronesian ivory nut (beige material). Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. On Guam in an art gallery.
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood), Micronesian ivory nut (beige material) and ivory nut inlay on ifil wood.. Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. Owned by Colin Fain.
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood), Micronesian ivory nut inlay (beige material), Asian water buffalo horn, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay. Tribal designs on the black buffalo horn. Owned by Richard Cruz, New Mexico, USA.
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood), bone, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay. Tribal designs on the bone. Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. Currently in my personal collection, not for sale.
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood) center pendant in the shape of the Guam Seal (slingstone), bone hook, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay on the pendant. This is an actual piece of spondylus I found on the beach (closer to the boonies area) in this natural beaded shape. Approximately one yard of hand twisted pandanus leaf twining used to wrap the hook, two strand twining for the wrapping, and four strand twining for the loop. Tribal designs on the front of the slingstone, with the Great Seal of Guam on the back, carved upside down to signify our struggle to make right that which was wronged to us, and that Guam is clear on other side of the world from Mr. Dasinger. Owned by James Dasinger of Miami, Florida, USA..
Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood) center pendant in the shape of the Guam Seal (slingstone), bone hook, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay on the pendant. This is a replica of the hook I made for Mr. Dasinger. I fell in love with the hook that I carved that I decided to reproduce it, but on a lesser scale as to not take away from the meaning so deeply inparted on the first. Not a normal practice with my art, I do not usually reproduce my work; each one as unique as the next. Approximately one yard of hand twisted pandanus leaf twining used to wrap the hook, two strand twining for the wrapping, and four strand twining for the loop. Tribal designs on the front of the slingstone, with a scene of a thatched roof A-frame hut on åcho' latte' (stone house supports) and a coconut palm tree on the back. These two motifs signifying the architectural prowess of the Chamorro peoples, and the coconut tree, which is a life source for the pacific peoples, and so rightfully called the "Tree of Life". OWned by me. :)
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Asian water buffalo horn, bone, and spondylus seashell (Ancient Guam shell money) inlay. Tribal designs on the black buffalo horn. Hand twisted pandanus leaf twining. Spondylus money bead toggle and integrated pandanus leaf twined clasp. Owned by Cecilia T., Garden Grove, CA, U.S.A.
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Local Guam hardwood (hayun ifit ifil wood) shank, giant clam (hima, Tridacna gigas) gaff. Multiple inlay on this hook, sporting one spondylus bead inlay and two red coral rounds on the ifit shank. Above the hook are three other beads, one hima money bead and two spondylus money beads on the top and bottom of the hima money bead. The front of the shank is kept plain and simple with just a little bit of "bleed over" from the tribal designs that are mainly existing on the back. The overall tribal designs were supposed to wrap around the hook, and in a way almost take on a life of their own as they grasp the hook, and hold it together onto the nylon cord. Between the hima & ifit joint, I have placed hand twisted pandanus leaf twining to signify the usage of fiber cordage for binding objects together in the ancient Chamorro society. If you look closely and carefully at the triangle/dot designs, it starts on the back, and wraps around the front of the hook, up and over to end back on the rear side of the hook. The toggle is a spondylus toggle, carved in the shape of a slingstone. This hook is currently (and hopefully only owned) by: Jessie "Sus" Bamba, Virginia, USA
