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THBLate 18th C. Marquesas Islands Stone Poi Pounder
Lot 252
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,600 - $3,900
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Mar 7, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-03-07 10:00:00
2019-03-07 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Antiquities & Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-antiquities-ethnographic-art-3928
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (393)
- Lot Description
French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands, Enata peoples, ca. late 18th to early 19th century CE. Stunning and hand-carved from dark-gray basalt stone, used for repeatedly pounding taro root into poi. The densely-detailed tool has a rounded pounding face, wide shoulders, a smooth tapered profile, a thick tubular handle, and a bifurcated, knob-shaped grip adorned with a pair of carved abstract Janiform faces. The faces are composed of almond-shaped eyes, rectangular noses, and ovoid mouths, each with incised coiffures and necklines delineated with a horizontal necklace. The neck exhibits another pair of similar abstract faces underneath those detailing the handle, with repeating triangular, linear, and X-shaped motifs surrounding the spaces in-between. Though the pounding face is rough from age, the handle and neck are incredibly smooth from repeated use. A fabulous example from the Marquesas Islands! Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 4.125" W x 6.5" H (10.5 cm x 16.5 cm); 7.875" H (20 cm) on included custom stand.
Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands (Europeans introduced steel weapons). The pounder, 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.
For a similar Janiform example from the Marquesas Islands, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1995.65.1: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/317734
Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#133627Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age and use as expected, small losses to pounding face and shoulder, with fading to some incised details, and light discoloration. Small area of red pigmentation to one handle face. Light earthen deposits throughout. Old inventory sticker on pounding face.Condition
- Shipping Info
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