Pounder (penu)

Culture: Tahitian (Ma'ohi) artist
Date: late 18th–early 19th century
Material: Volcanic stone
associated with: French Polynesia, France, Oceania
Classification: Stone & mineral, tools & equipment
Collection: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location: On View, Gallery 108
Dimensions: 5 1/8 x 4 5/16 in. (13 x 11 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Morton D. May
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 142:1978

NOTES

Gifts of food to allies or extended family punctuate the life of Polynesian communities. This implement was used to prepare such offerings. Apart from the cooked meat of pigs, game, or fish, the most important food staple is coconut milk mixed with a puree of either breadfruit or taro, depending on the region. Made of volcanic stone, this pounder was used to mash fruits or tubers into a paste.

Provenance

- 1975
Maurice Bonnefoy (1920-1999), New York, NY and Paris, France

1975 - 1978
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Maurice Bonnefoy [1]

1978 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Morton D. May [2]

Notes:
[1] An invoice dated January 28, 1975 from Maurice Bonnefoy to Morton D. May documents the purchase of this object, listed as "Poi / taro root pounder" [May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].

[2] A letter dated August 24, 1978 from Morton D. May to James Wood includes the offer of this object as a gift to the Museum [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, September 20, 1978.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.