Old Mortar

Would like to know what country made and how old could this mortar by ? Thanks

 

@Shangas ? want to take a stab at it????????

 

Hm. North African.

 

I'll try, but I don't promise anything!!

It's a mortar and pestle, obviously. Looks to be...bronze...rather than brass, judging by the colour of the metal. It has been heavily, heavily used, or very badly stored. The dings and chips to the mortar would suggest extremely frequent use to grind up some particularly hard substances.

Mortars and pestles were produced all over the world, and were used for everything from cooking to science to medicine. They're tricky to date, unfortunately.

WHERE the mortar and pestle were made might be determined by style or material of manufacture. For example, Dutch ones from the 17th century all seem to have the same basic style, and loop handles on the sides. Middle-eastern/Mediterranean ones usually have footed mortars with a base and neck and no handles. Most of the apothecary-style ones I've seen are small, circular, with or without little knob-handles on the sides.

But these are VERY general guidelines. You'd need to do a lot of research to be sure.

WHEN it was made, can be a complete crapshoot. Similar styles were made for decades, even centuries - and bronze and brass don't come with hallmarks to date them.

I can see evidence of an arrow-pattern under the rim, and what looks like some sort of decoration on the sides (possibly animals?), which have faded due to extensive polishing (or a really bad knockoff modern casting)... My gut-feeling is that this is old - wear like that doesn't happen overnight...but how old and where is it from? You'd need to keep searching. I collect brassware and stuff, but I'm no expert in this field! I know enough to make an educated guess, but that's it!

 

Any link to a good site with all the different designs of mortars somewhere ?

 

Not that I'm aware of. The information is usually gathered from auction-sites and antiques seller websites and stuff like that. It's not 100% reliable, so whatever anybody says (including me!) should be taken with a spoonful of salt.

Unless the mortar and pestle are extensively stamped and marked with the date, place annd name of manufacture (and SOME were, but again, these are RARE), the best guess that most people can make is just: "old".

 

But there most be a link to a country or region with this shape and design off the mortar ? So any idea ?

 

There probably is! But I have no idea where that might be. Like I said - styles were copied and reproduced for decades - centuries! A knob-handled lathe-spun brass mortar and pestle produced in 1700 would be almost indistinguishable from one made in 1900.

 

For several years, I've looked for a good mortar & pestle online site with no luck. Also haven't found a good book about them either. Some books on brass do include a page or so on mortars & pestles, but with little actual information about styles and origins. I have found that university medical centers or pharmacy department websites sometimes have collections of M & Ps on their websites. You might try a pharmacy type museum in your location. If you are located in the Netherlands you might try such museums as the Boarhaave Museum in Leiden, the Museum Gouda...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Locatio...useum_Gouda-Gouda_South_Holland_Province.html

The following website has a small collection pictured online. They may have help for you??? Believe these pics are only a sample of the collection

UTSouthwestern Medical Center (University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX)
http://library.utsouthwestern.edu/speccol/hhs/mortarsPestles/mp.cfm
Here is the man who donated the collection. Do note he insinuates that similar styles were used around the world a bit like what Sangas said with "similar styles."
http://library.utsouthwestern.edu/speccol/hhs/mortarsPestles/mpKramer.cfm

BTW, if yours is bronze like Shangas thinks, then it may be pre-1800s to possibly before 1700??According to the Schiffer's The Brass Book American, English and European Fifteenth Century through 1850, page 375:

"In the twelfed to sixteenth centuries, mortars were made of bronze and some quite elaborately decorated. The use of brass seems to have started in the late seventeenth century."

If it is bronze and from North Africa, they may have still been making them in bronze up into the 1800s.

--- Susan

 

Susan, I think they're still making them there. North Africa, that is. Although to me, this thing looks more like decently patinated brass.

 

IMO the mortar is a modern, fantasy item. The color is different from that of any mortar I've seen so I don't know what alloy it is. The makers took pains to make it look very worn but their mistake was leaving the sharp little bumps on one part of the rim. The mismatch between the faked wear and these sharp, well-defined bumps makes me quite confident that it is a modern fake or decorator. Also, have never seen an old mortar with those designs in it, which I take as further evidence of a fantasy item. However, it is probably worth what you paid for it which means you haven't lost anything.

 

The dings and chips to the mortar would suggest extremely frequent use to grind up some particularly hard substances.

To me it looks like someone used it as a hammer........often !

 

I hold it and had it good look and it is as old as it looks . So important would be now the country or area where these kind off mortars where used .

 

Are you keeping the size a secret on this item too?

 

All over the world in one variant or another, but this is typical of NOrth Africa. It's an apothecary shape for what it's worth.

 

The size is width 12 cm en height is 9 cm . Weight is 1.9 kilograms