Pounder

A cylindrical pounder (pōhaku kuʻi) made of volcanic basalt. The pounder is conical and flares outwards towards the bottom. The bottom is rounded. The opposite end has a rounded knobbed top.

There was a variety of pounding and grinding implements used in Hawai’i, including stone mortars (pōhō pōhaku) and pestles of varying forms, which were used to process nuts, berries, roots, and materials for oils, pigments, and dyes. Stone pounders (pōhaku kuʻi) were used in the preparation of poi from taro (kalo), a staple food in Hawai’i.

Poi pounders (pōhaku kuʻi ‘ai), typically fashioned from dense basalt, appeared in three principal forms: knobbed, ring, and stirrup, each differing in grip and technique of use. The preparation of poi was labor-intensive: cooked taro was peeled, placed on a wooden board (papa kuʻi poi), and rhythmically pounded with water added incrementally until a thick paste (paʻiʻai) was achieved.