18TH C. HAWAIIAN PRE-CONTACT STONE POI18TH C. HAWAIIAN PRE-CONTACT STONE POI POUNDERNorth Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 18th century CE or earlier. A hefty example of a poi pounder that is hand-carved from porous, gray stone. The utilitarian tool features a large, rounded pounding face, a smooth shoulder that tapers to form the handle, and a hemispherical knob finial on top to facilitate its use. Poi pounders were one of the most important stone tools in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. They are used for pounding cooked taro root into poi, a staple of the islander diet. The ground-up roots were blended with water into a highly nutritious paste. Size: 5.125" W x 6.625" H (13 cm x 16.8 cm)
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#160903
Condition:
Nicks to pounding face and handle commensurate with age and use, with light encrustations within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and excellent. Great surface smoothness from use.
18TH C. HAWAIIAN PRE-CONTACT BASALT18TH C. HAWAIIAN PRE-CONTACT BASALT POI POUNDERNorth Pacific, Hawaii, Maui, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 18th century CE or earlier. A sizable and hefty poi pounder, hand-carved from porous basalt in mottled hues of ash gray. The tool displays a conical body with a narrow, curved handle with indentations on the neck to increase the gripping ability of the wielder. The hefty pounding surface is ovoid in form with a convex face and gradually widens downwards from the slender neck. This pounder would have been used for preparing poi, a major staple of the indigenous Hawaiian diet! Size: 3.8" W x 6.4" H (9.7 cm x 16.3 cm); 8" H (20.3 cm) on included custom stand.
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#160892
Condition:
Minor losses to pounding head and handle, commensurate with use. Expected nicks and abrasions to surface. Otherwise, excellent with nice signs of use.
FINE 16TH C. HAWAIIAN STONE POI POUNDER**FirstFINE 16TH C. HAWAIIAN STONE POI POUNDER**First Time At Auction**
North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Maui, Lahaina, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 16th to 18th century CE. A finely preserved poi pounder of a bell-shaped form carved from brown-hued stone. The hefty tool is comprised of a rounded pounding face, a broad body with a carinated lower edge, a gently tapered handle, and a hemispherical knob tip that facilitated the movement and handling of the tool. The handle and top of the knob exhibit a pleasing smoothness that suggests this tool was used to prepare countless dishes of pulverized taro root known as poi. Size: 4.4" W x 6.75" H (11.2 cm x 17.1 cm)
Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands (Europeans introduced steel weapons). They 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.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This item falls under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and is not eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.
Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#177504
Condition:
Minor nicks, pitting, and abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Great surface smoothness in most areas indicative of use, and nice stone color. Previous inventory number handwritten in black pigment atop petite area of white paint beneath pounding face.
16TH C. PRE-CONTACT HAWAIIAN STONE POI16TH C. PRE-CONTACT HAWAIIAN STONE POI POUNDERNorth Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, Maui, Lahaina, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 16th to 18th century CE. A finely preserved poi pounder of a bell-shaped form pecked and polished from a dark gray and porous lava rock. This pounder has smooth surface from hours of use preparing medicine or food, the broad face pulverizing taro root into poi, a staple dish in Hawaiian and many Polynesian cultures. Taro root was steamed in an earthen oven, peeled using shells, and placed onto a slab of wood for grinding. The pounded taro was blended with water into a highly nutritious paste and served in bowls - an everyday and ceremonial meal! Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. Size: 4.3" Diameter x 5.5" H (10.9 cm x 14 cm)
Provenance: private Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#177646
Condition:
Minor nicks, pitting, and abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Great surface smoothness in most areas indicative of use, and nice stone color.
18TH C. TAHITIAN PRE-CONTACT BASALT18TH C. TAHITIAN PRE-CONTACT BASALT POI POUNDERFrench Polynesia, Tahiti, Moorea Island, Pre-Contact Period, ca. 18th century CE. A fabulous and hefty pounder, hand-carved from red-gray basalt, meant to pulverize the roots of the taro plant into poi. The tool has a thick neck, a cuboid handle, and a hemispherical pounding face. The entire tool is incredibly smooth from repeated use, though some light roughness can be felt around the rim just above the pounding head. Finely crafted and sturdy in composition, this is an exquisite example from French Polynesia! Size: 4.75" W x 7.5" H (12.1 cm x 19 cm)
Poi pounders, alongside adzes, were the most important stone tools in Polynesia (Europeans introduced steel weapons). They 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 Hawaii collection, acquired 2000 to 2010
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#177645
Condition:
Minor nicks, abrasions, and pitting, otherwise intact and excellent. Great surface texture throughout. Previous inventory label handwritten atop white-out on pounding surface.