Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0458-0306   CAS 0458-0306; Poi pounder
Category Culinary Items; Tools & Implements
Object Name Poi pounder
Culture Polynesian: Hawaiian
Global Region Oceania
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Hawaii
County
Other Geographic Data Island: Kauai
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture
Collection Name Ostheimer Collection (Hawaiian)
Materials Stone
Description Stirrup-style poi pounder chipped and pecked to shape from a single piece of stone and used for pounding of taro root in the preparation of poi. Some researchers think this type of tool, known only from Kauai, was not a poi pounder, but instead a weight used to hold down large kapa sheets when they were laid out to dry.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 13.5, Width = 16.3, Depth = 7.9