Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0458-0307   CAS 0458-0307; 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: vesicular basalt
Description Stirrup-style poi pounder pecked and ground to shape from a single piece of stone and used for pounding of taro root in the preparation of poi; Flat pounding surface is ovoid in shape, and its sides rise up to form a doughnut-shaped handle; All surfaces are ground very smooth. 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 = 12.8, Width = 12.4, Thickness = 7.8