ANTIQUE STONE MORTAR — 16TH–17TH CENTURY

This antique stone mortar, datable to the 16th or 17th century, stands as an authentic testimony to the learned practices of its time. Its robust, deliberately irregular form, together with the considerable thickness of its walls, reveals entirely manual craftsmanship, characteristic of an object conceived for intensive and long-lasting use. Four peripheral protrusions provide a stable and functional grip, while a pouring spout carved directly from the mass allowed the precise outflow of liquid or semi-liquid preparations such as decoctions, macerations, or medicinal mixtures.

The deeply hollowed bowl displays an old, dense, and silky patina resulting from prolonged use. The inner surface of the stone, gradually polished by the substances once ground within it, shows a regular and natural wear — a tangible indication of sustained utilisation. This texture, born of repeated gestures over decades, lends the object a material and historical presence that is difficult to reproduce artificially.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the mortar held an essential place in apothecaries’ workshops, scholarly households, and certain monastic environments. It was used to crush plants, resins, powders, and mineral substances involved in the preparation of remedies or various compounds. Within an intellectual context marked by the transition between inherited traditions and emerging experimentation, this instrument fully participated in the medical practices and proto-scientific inquiries of its era.

Having reached the present day in a remarkable state of preservation, with no significant modern alterations, this mortar retains its original relief and the silent memory of its use. Today it presents itself as a piece of strong character, ideal for enriching a cabinet of curiosities or a specialised collection, intended for a discerning collector attentive to the authenticity and material presence of antique objects.

PERIOD : 16th–17th century
DIMENSIONS : 17 cm × 12 cm
SIZE : 6.7" × 4.7"