Linton — The Marquesas Islands 341 



The characteristics of the rarer type of tiki headed pounder (PI. Liv, A) 



are as follows : 



The features are carved in high relief and the whole effect is that of two heads made 

 in the round and placed back to back, the faces projecting out beyond the oval neck at either 

 end. The mouth is narrower than in faces of the common type and has a greater vertical width. 

 The lips are thin and rounded and the tongue broad and prominent. The nose is small and 

 almost naturalistic in its proportions, and juts out from the face. The eyes are large, with 

 upper and lower edges of differing curve, a high rim, and a well marked longitudinal ridge 

 across the eye ball. They are directed to the side, and the rear corners slope downward and 

 backward so steeply that the ears, shown as simple hooks, are at the level of the corners of 

 the mouth. The top of the head is rounded and only slightly higher than the upper edge of 

 the eye rings. 



The finding of three specimens of practically identical form seems to in- 

 dicate that these objects constituted a distinct type, but the natives can give no 

 information on this point. The convention of the carving differs considerably 

 from that employed on any other artifacts but is reminiscent of that of certain 

 large stone heads used as architectural decorations. Pounders of this sort are cer- 

 tainly pre-European and it seems probable that they either had a special cere- 

 monial significance, or were the product of some local school of carving which 

 became extinct at an early time. 



POUNDERS FOR INFANT FOOD 

 Special pounders w'ere used to crush the fresh w'ater shrimps which w^ere 

 fed to infants as a purgative before they were suckled for the first time. 

 (See PI. Liv, C.) They are smaller than the popoi pounders, and have 

 an oval instead of a round base, only slightly concave sides, and no distinct 

 neck. The top is oval in cross section and usually projects slightly beyond the 

 body at either end. In the best made specimens the top is usually slightly hol- 

 lowed along its center, but in one specimen it is smoothly rounded. In using 

 these pounders, the body of the implement was grasped in the hand with the index 

 finger extending lengthwise over the top, and the shrimps were crushed with a 

 grinding motion rather than direct blows. 



SALT POUNDERS 

 Certain small pounders are said by the natives to have been used for grind- 

 ing coarse salt left in hollows of the rocks by the evaporation of sea water. 

 These appear to have been fairly common in the island of Nuku Hiva but are rare 

 or lacking elsewhere in the Marquesas. They are characterized by a long, thin 

 headless neck, or body, which flares out rather abruptly at the base. The base 

 is either round or oval. (See PI. liv, D.) 



CHILDREN'S POUNDERS 

 A few very small pounders which were seen in the Marquesas were said to 

 have been toys ; although, as some of them showed considerable wear, they may 



[81] 



