Can Hook from Galleon Santa Clara (1564)

sketchfab

A 15cm tall, flat-ended hook is a special type known as a "can hook," specifically designed for lifting barrels in and out of a ship. One definition of the can hook states it's an instrument used to sling a cask by its end staves: formed by fixing a broad, flat hook at each end of a short rope; tackle hooked to the middle of the rope lifts or lowers the cask. In 1703, those in charge of victualling a ship were required to know "The Doctrine of the Can-Hook" and how much it affects the heads and crows of their casks during hoisting in and out. This piece (97-2510) is made from resin cast from marine concretion formed around its original, degraded iron core.