Hi Damian,
What you have is a
te unun from Kiribati. Basically, it's (probably) made from coconut wood, with split coconut or similar wood forming the splints that the teeth are tied to. At a guess, the cordage is a mix of coconut fiber cordage (aka sennit) and (probably) human hair. The teeth are from a requiem shark of some sort, probably (though not certainly) a grey reef shark.
Age-wise, I'd guess post World War II, but I don't think it's one of the more recent ones that showed up on the string Rick directed you to. That makes it a tourist piece, but it's more or less in the traditional form.
You might see these pieces called "tebutje," although that is not a word in the Kiribati language. Kiribati is a phoneticization of "Gilbert" and these used to be called the "Gilbert Islands" or the "Kingsmill Islands."
Repair wise, I'm cringing a bit at the idea of wrapping plastic wrap to hold it together. That will promote mold growth, and that's about it. Duck tape is also out, if you were thinking on those lines.
Although I'm NOT an expert on it, I'd suggest restoration, in the form of reweaving the handle, and (possibly) replacing some of the lost teeth. It's pretty easy to get shark's teeth on ebay, you can bore the holes with the awl on a swiss army knife (wear gloves!) and if you have a friend who can donate some hair (long and black would be preferable), you can also find directions for wrapping cordage on the web and try your hand at it. It depends on how energetic you are and how much care you want to put into it.
Nice piece! If you're in the mood to let it go, I'd be happy to take it off your hands...
F
Nice piece!