Diver's Nose Clip

"The nose peg, al fatam, was an essential piece of equipment for pearl divers. It was placed on the diver’s nose at the start of the dive to prevent water from entering, and to help the diver equalise the pressure in his ears as he descended. The nose peg helped to minimise the rupturing of eardrums, a common occurance for divers.

The clip was usually made from turtle shell or animal horn, with a hole at the top for a thin cord to pass through so that it could hang around the diver's neck when he was not underwater. An ancient piece of equipment, the fatam was first mentioned around a thousand years ago in early Arabic descriptions of pearl diving."