Mangai is a Rapa Nui fishing hook. Such hooks were considered the highest art and were used to catch great predators such as tuna, albacore and sharks. They were carved out of stone, so this was not an easy task. Mangai were also considered a defense symbol.
In addition, the mangai are part of Rapa Nui's cosmogonic representations. God-creator on such a hook pulled the earth out from under the water so that people could live on it.
