North Pacific, Hawaii, ca. 1880s CE. A sizable and splendid poi pounder, hand-carved from basalt in mottled hues of ash grey and charcoal. The fine implement displays a hemispherical handle and a corseted neck to increase the gripping ability of the wielder. The hefty pounding surface is circular in form and gradually widens downwards from the slender neck. The neck and handle are incredibly smooth from use, while the rough pounding surface is consistent with finely-aged volcanic stone. Size: 4.75" W x 7.25" H (12.1 cm x 18.4 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. The pounders, known locally as a "Ke'a Tuki Popoi," are used for pounding cooked taro root into poi, a staple of the islander diet. Taro root was steamed in an earthen oven, peeled using shells, and placed onto a slab of wood to be pounded. The pounded results were blended with water into a highly nutritious paste. Traditional calabash bowls were used as containers to hold poi mixtures, and traveling royalty were accompanied by their own poi maker, with his or her own poi-making implements like this one.
Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection
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#160878
Condition
Abrasions to pounding surface. Some miniscule nicks/chips and natural petite perforations to stone, all commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, intact and excellent with encrustations on pounding surface.