Te ikuiku

Te ikuiku. Pounder. This is a large and heavy wooden pounder. It has been carved entirely from one piece of wood. It is made of te ngea (pemphis acidula). The handle is short and cylindrical in form. A fragment of the handle has been split off. The mallet part has been carved outwards from the handle and is also wider in diameter, shorter in length and cylindrical in form. The sides taper to form a flat surface. The tapered edges surrounding the flat surface show burnishing from where contact was made when in use. It is dark brown in colour with uneven surface areas revealing a lighter tone of brown beneath the surface. This te ikuiku was used for pounding tabataba (edible part of a pandanus fruit) for producing kabubu (a preserved food and/or drink made from pandanus fruit).