Te ikuiku

Te ikuiku. Pounder. This is a wooden pounder. It has been carved entirely out of one piece of wood. It is made from ngea (pemphis acidula). The handle is cylindrical with a carved node that tapers outwards on the end. Opposite, a larger cylindrical form makes up the mallet part of the pounder. The surface area of the base of the mallet segment is smooth and polished. The grain of the wood runs horizontal to the pounder. There are small circular cavities dappled over the surface area of te ikuiku. These portray where branches may have been present before te ngea became te ikuiku. The wood ranges in tone from mid to light brown. Hafted marks across te ikuiku surface areas portray the kind of tool used to carved its form.