Hispano-Moresque Apothecarist’s Engraved Bronze Mortar & Pestle

This mortar and pestle would have been used by an Islamic apothecarist, probably in northern Africa or Andalusian Spain to grind up herbs in the preparation of medicinal drugs and balms. (Such mortars were made in Spain and exported to other Mediterranean communities, and no doubt were copied locally as well.)

The mortar is of cylindrical form, and has been cast with eight flanges or fins around its sides, spread equidistant around the body. These flanges whilst giving the mortar much of its decorative appeal acted to reinforce the mortar’s body. There are two handles – one on each side of the mortar, in addition to the fins. Additionally, remnants of engraved foliate patterns remain on the surface. The mortar retains its pestle.

Mortars of this type with radiating fins seem to have their origins in twelfth century Moorish Spain, and possibly earlier (one in Cordoba’s Archaeological Museum is attributed to the tenth century). Two examples in the Khalili Collection are illustrated in Maddison & Savage-Smith (1997, p. 299). These are ascribed to circa 13th-14th century. A 12th-13th century example is in the collection of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris (see Instute du Monde Arabe, 2005, p. 185 for an illustration.) Another example comprised lot 161 at Christie’s London ‘Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Art from the Collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi’, October 5, 2010.

The example here is related to these earlier examples but has taken on a more rounded and pleasing shape. A similar example with a probable later ownership inscription in Armenian and dated to 1718 is illustrated in Hassiotis (2010, p. 165).

The mortar here, like other examples, is of extremely thick cast metal so as to allow the repeated blows of a heavy pestle. Such mortars were not necessarily for grinding spices for food but for grinding herbs and other ingredients for the preparation of drugs and balms. Accordingly, they were an important tool for the medieval apothecarist.

Overall, this is a fine, early example, decorative and of good size. As might be expected, both the mortar and pestle are heavy for their size. The set has a splendid deep colour and pleasingly rounded contours from centuries of handling and use. The traces of engraved patterns on the mortar are unusual.

 

Above: A related Ottoman-style finned mortar and its pestle, photographed in the pharmacy of the Franciscan friary, Dubrovnik, Croatia. The Franciscans were specialists in grinding up herbs for medicines. The pharmacy in Dubrovnik dates to 1317.