Harpoon For Taking Paiche Fish
Item 820

 I found this handsome harpoon along a tributary of the Amazon River in eastern Peru. It is completely authentic and used to take the giant Paiche fish, Arapaima gigas. The shaft of this is over 2 meters long and is fashioned from a solid piece of palisangre, probably Brosimum rubescens.

The head is made of steel and fashioned in a makeshift forge. The head has two barbs and a cup-like arrangement that holds the shaft to the head. 

A cord several meters long connects the harpoon to a balsa float. Small hooks hold the cord to the shaft before it is thrown. Often palisangre is too heavy to float so with this harpoon the head permanently attached to the shaft and the whole arrangement is connected to the float via the cord.

The paiche, is the largest freshwater fish in the world often weighing several hundred kilograms. Paiche meat is delicious and is eaten in the villages with the excess transported to river towns and sold in the market places.

With a fish this large, fishermen need a harpoon with substantial mass, so they make the shaft large and from heavy wood such as Brosimum.  Palisangre (blood wood in English), has a deep dark-red hue. and is often used for decorative pieces. To the fishermen, though, the beauty of palisangre is of secondary importance to its weight.

This harpoon would make a fine addition to a rainforest display in a zoo or museum. It is large enough so audience can view its details from a distance.

I've purchased this harpoon and have put it in storage in Iquitos, Peru. It is packaged in a shipping tube and separate box for the float and cord.

I'm asking $174.95 plus shipping and handling  for this harpoon.

The piece is too large for Parcel Post and will have to ship either by freighter or air.

If you are interested in this harpoon click here to send me an e-mail and I'll start get information for shipping and send you a quote.

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