Description:

Polynesia, Hawaiian Islands, pre-contact era, ca. prior to the 1700s CE. A hefty and sizeable pestle, hand-carved from porous black basalt, meant for pounding taro root into poi. The tool has a cylindrical handle, a rounded shoulder, and a pounding surface which gradually widens from the neck down. Both the neck and pounding face are smooth to the touch as a result of repeated use. Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Hawaii (Europeans introduced steel weapons). They are used for pounding cooked taro root into poi, a stable of the 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. Size: 3.25" W x 5.85" H (8.3 cm x 14.9 cm); 6.85" H (17.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#148565

  • Condition: Signs of wear and weathering on surface including light deposits.

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July 9, 2020 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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