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Overview
Kana-akari (coconut grating stools) like this one are used to scrape the flesh from the shells of akari (mature coconuts) that have been husked and split in half. Kana-akari of various forms are still used today and are an essential tool in the daily preparation of food in the Cook Islands.
Details and usage
This kana-akari is made from a small section of tree trunk with two branches at suitable angles to form front legs. The trunk or branch beyond these two legs has been trimmed to form the projecting arm for the grating element - a piece of serrated metal, shell or coral - which in this case is missing. The other end of the trunk rests upon the ground. The two branch legs cut to suitable lengths form a tripod with the trunk and elevate the projecting arm high enough for a bowl to be placed below the grating element.