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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Pounders, Reru Or Penu

Pounders, Reru Or Penu.

Though stone pounders are needed in every day use, they are curiously rare in Aitutaki. The usual excuse for their absence was that they had been given away. Wooden pounders had largely supplanted them. Only one stone specimen was obtained, but as it was made of stalactite, it must have been introduced. They were said, however, to resemble the Mangaian form. The head was said to have been expanded into a transverse grip. As this is characteristic of both Mangaian and Rarotongan pounders, we have had recourse to the collection of these forms in the Auckland Museum to illustrate this section.

Terminology. Linton2 has described Marquesan pounders as being composed of a head, neck, body, and base. Head is a convenient regional term when combined with neck and body, but it might also be conveniently described as the grip. The under surface at the base might also be referred to as the pounding surface.

Material, The pounders of both Aitutaki and Rarotonga were made of the dark stone known as pohatu maori. In Rarotonga, pounders were also made of coral rock. In Mangaia, white silica from the stalactites of caves was page 247used. Pounders of this material are still made for trade purposes, but the form follows the old shape.

General shape. The general shape of the Cook Islands pounders is seen in Figs 216-218. The head may be merely the end of a truncated cone, or may be expanded laterally into a transverse grip. This is succeeded by the narrowest part, the neck, which gradually expands into the body. There is no line of demarcation between the neck and the body, and for measurements the narrowest diameter has been selected as the neck.

Figure 216.Rarotongan Pounders of medium size (Auckland Museum).

Figure 216.
Rarotongan Pounders of medium size (Auckland Museum).

The body continues the expansion, and is bounded at the base by a well-defined edge, which marks off the inferior pounding surface. In cross section, the neck and body are usually elliptical, but in some examples may be nearly circular.

Holding the pounder in the position in which it is held whilst being used, the following diameters in millimeters of those shown in Fig. 216 give an idea of their size. The height is taken in the middle line, without regard to any upward rise of the lateral expansions of the grip. A.P. equal Antero-posterior, and Tr. Transverse.

Head. Neck. Base.
Height A.P. Tr. A.P. Tr. A.P. Tr.
A. 170 29 50 37 44 66 68
B. 146 37 55 39 44 77 78
C. 153 37 54 36 43 79 82
D. 183 41 62 39 43 64 73
E. 159 31 64 34 41 74 73
F. 148 29 55 31 36 67 68
G. 222 36 65 37 44 71 80
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Figure 217.Stone Pounders from the Cook Group (Auckland Museum).

Figure 217.
Stone Pounders from the Cook Group (Auckland Museum).

A—Small stalactite pounder found in Aitutaki. B and C—Stalactite pounders from Mangaia. D—Coral pounder, Rarotonga.

Three larger pounders are shown in Fig. 217. The difference in size is not in height, but in the increased diameter of the base.

A is the small pounder found in Aitutaki under the root of a cocoanut tree that was grubbed out of a taro patch. The material is stalactite, keho, or morevai, and may have been from Mauke, Mitiaro, or Mangaia. The head is expanded laterally to form a transverse grip, which has a median ridge running antero-posteriorly. One side of the transverse grip has broken off. The sides are flared.

B and C are stalactite pounders from Mangaia. B has the Mangaian characteristic transverse grip, which is concave upwards. C departs from the usual in having a rounded knob on either side.

D is a Rarotongan pounder, made of coral. The grip shows two lateral rounded projections, which slant upwards and outwards. It may be termed a bifurcated or forked grip. The sides are flared to such an extent that the diameter of the base is almost equal to the height of the pounder.

The measurements are as follows:—

Head. Neck. Base.
Height A.P. Tr. A.P. Tr. A.P. Tr.
A. 97 30 46 31 33 66 68
B. 184 40 98 47 49 91 94
C. 169 61 66 46 49 101 98
D. 164 38 104 41 55 158 159
page 249
Figure 218.Large Stone Pounders, Rarotonga.

Figure 218.
Large Stone Pounders, Rarotonga.

The best made pounders are of the type shown in Fig. 218. Both pounders are made of black stone, have long transverse grips with the concavity upwards, and are greatly flared towards the base. The example A. is in Mr. Wix's collection. One side of the grip was broken off, and it was badly chipped near the base. The example B. is a splendid specimen, belonging to Makea Ariki. The transverse grip of A. was originally about 116mm. wide, and B. 124 mm., and the antero-posterior thickness at the ends 43 and 41 mm. respectively. The inferior surfaces of the lateral projections of the grip are at right angles to the neck. The inferior surfaces are the full thickness of the grip, and are sharply defined by the anterior and posterior edges. The upper part of the grip is rounded off, as shown in the cross section in Fig. 219.

Figure 219.Dimensions of Rarotongan Pounder, B in Fig. 218.

Figure 219.
Dimensions of Rarotongan Pounder, B in Fig. 218.

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The ends are cleanly cut in a direction upwards and slightly outwards. The surface thus looks outwards and downwards. The upper transverse measurement of the grip is 124mm., and the lower 119mm. For comparative purposes the measurements of both are given.

Head. Neck. Base.
Height A.P. Tr. A.P. Tr. A.P Tr.
A. …. …. 156 43 116 43 56 ? 146
B. …. …. 142 41 124 43 46 139 141

These pounders were highly prized. They were polished and greased from time to time.

Types of grip. The grips may be divided into simple and transverse.

Simple grip. The simple grip is formed by the head of the pounder, without any lateral projection. They give one the impression as if the transverse grip had broken off during manufacture and the craftsman had made the best of a bad job by trimming up the end.

Two such grips are shown in Fig. 216A and B. In A, the upper surface of the head has been ground into a slight transverse concavity. The grinding has been continued anteriorly and posteriorly in the middle, so as to form crescentic ridges where they meet the upward slope of the head. In this pounder the transverse diameter of the head is much greater than the antero-posterior, being 50mm. to 29mm. The antero-posterior diameter of the neck is 37mm. and the transverse 44mm. Thus from the crescentic ridges the head slopes downwards and outwards to meet the neck, whereas on the sides it slopes inwards.

In B the upper surface has been ground in a similar manner to A, but the crescentic ridges come a little lower down. On the left of the upper surface there is the mark of a fracture, and it looks as if the pounder originally had a transverse grip.

The transverse grip. The transverse grip is formed by lateral expansions of the head. It is said by Linton2 to be characteristic of the south-eastern Polynesian area. The different forms met with in the examples examined are herewith classified.

(a.) The palm grip.

The upper surface of the transverse grip forms a single concavity from end to end, Fig. 221 b and c. The palm of the hand fits comfortably over the concavity. page 251Hence the term palm grip, suggested by Mr. G. Archey of the Auckland Museum, is expressive and appropriate. They are seen in the large Rarotongan pounders, Fig. 218, and in the Mangaian stalactite example, Fig. 217B.

The grip in the Mangaian pounder is treated differently to the Rarotongan. In the former the superior surface is flat antero-posteriorly and is defined by clean cut anterior and posterior edges which extend the full width of the grip. The antero-posterior diameter of the surface is 37mm. in the middle line, and 32 and 31 mm. respectively at the ends, Fig 220A.

Figure 220.Mangaian transverse Palm Grip.

Figure 220.
Mangaian transverse Palm Grip.

On the under surface of the lateral projections there is a defined edge running from the outer ends of the grip to the neck. A cross section is thus triangular, 220B, with the base upwards. In other pounders the under surface is rounded, 220C. The lateral projections of the Mangaian palm grip are thus the opposite of the Rarotongan. The under surface also slopes back to the neck, instead of being at right angles. At the outer ends, the surfaces look outwards and upwards, instead of outwards and downwards, as in the Rarotongan large pounders.

The upper surface of the grip in Rarotongan pounders may be crossed antero-posteriorly by one or two ridges, which thus form two or three shorter concavities instead of one general curve. For these Mr. Archey suggested the term finger grip, and it is here adopted.

(b.)Two-finger grip.

The two-finger grip is formed by a median ridge which crosses the upper surface of the grip in an antero-posterior direction and forms a concavity on either side, Fig. 221d. This form is seen in the small page 252Aitutaki pounder, Fig. 217A, and the medium-sized Rarotongan examples, Fig. 216C, D, and E. The pounder E is the simplest. In D the median ridge comes well down, and oblique lines run up from its lower ends towards the outer ends of the grip. In C the median ridge is not continuous but is ground transversely, so as to separate it into two small bosses. This, with the two rising ends of the grip, gives the appearance of four knobs clustered together on the upper surface.

Figure 221. Types of transverse grip.

Figure 221.
Types of transverse grip.

a—simple; b—Rarotongan palm; c—Mangaian palm; d—two-finger;

e—three-finger; f—two-knob; g—forked.

The fore and middle fingers fit over the two concavities, with the proximal phalanges resting upon them.

(c.)Three-finger grip.

In the three-finger grip, two ridges, one on either side of the middle line, cross the upper surface of the grip in an antero-posterior direction. The upper surface is thus divided into three concavities, Fig. 221e. This form is seen in the medium-sized pounders, Fig. 216F and G.

(d.)Two-knob grip.

Instead of the normal lateral expansions to form a palm grip there is a short rounded knob on either side of the head, Fig. 221f. This is seen in the stalactite pounder from Mangaia. Fig. 217C.

(e.)Forked grip.

The forked grip is formed by two rounded projections, which are directed upwards and outwards. They diverge from one another in the middle line at an acute angle, Fig. 221g. The forked grip is characteristic of the pounders made of coral, Fig. 217D. The form is probably influenced by material, a more horizontal direction of the projections being more likely to fracture with the more brittle coral.

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From the above examples we may deduce that the palm grip is necessary with heavy pounders for harder work, whilst the finger grips are suited to the lighter implements that do not require the full weight of the hand. The transverse width of the finger grips in Fig. 216 vary from 62 to 65mm., and cannot accommodate more than three fingers, The palm grips vary from 98 to 124mm., and easily take the full width of the hand.

Flaring. If the medium pounders shown in Fig. 216B and the large pounders shown in Fig. 218 B are compared as to height, neck, and base, the following significant figures are revealed.

Neck. Base.
Height. A.P. Tr. Av'r'ge A.P. Tr. Av'r'ge
Medium pounder .. 146 39 44 41.5 77 78 77.5
Large pounder .... 142 43 46 44.5 139 141 140

Thus, in height, the smaller pounder is 4mm. higher. At the neck there is no great difference, but at the base the difference is immense. In the smaller pounder the sides of the body are fairly straight. In the large pounder the sides of the body are markedly concave, or, in other words, they are flared. If the sides of the large pounder were straight from the neck to the base, as in the dotted lines in Fig. 219, the pounder would be too heavy and clumsy. Thus the object of flaring is to give as large a pounding surface as possible, without unnecessary weight. These pounders were used for mashing cooked food. A heavy implement was not only unnecessary, but it was too fatiguing to use, whereas a greater pounding surface facilitated the work. Flaring provided the two conditions. In the small Aitutaki pounder, Fig. 217A, the sides are flared to get a sufficient pounding surface in the short length of the implement.

Pounding surface. The pounding surface is convex. This was better suited to the concave inner surface of the wooden bowls in which the food was pounded.