Mortar and Pestle

Object Details

Description: Beaker-shaped mortar with a flaring mouth has five buttress-like ribs alternating between oval medallions decorated with a woman's face. The exterior portion of the flared mouth has a band of stylized stars. The pestle has a T-shaped handle.; Urdang catalogued this mortar as Italian. Yet in a hand written note found in the mortar Dr. Kisel suggests the mortar is Spanish. Wittop Koning also thought the mortar to be Spanish.; Interestingly a partial round blue and white paper label glued to the interior of the mortar is marked (Printed and hand written) "VILLE DE .../M A. Ritten.../ notaire/ a Strasbourg/ I/I EXPOSITION DR DINANDE"; The material that the mortar is made from has a silver-pewter cast typical. The pestle has golden tone and is probably not original to the mortar.; Medieval Dinant (also spelled Dinand) and Bouvignes specialized in metalwork, producing finely cast and finished objects in a silvery brass alloy, called dinanderie Their metal ware was exported throughout Western Europe and England.
Location: Currently not on view

Credit Line: Gift of American Pharmaceutical Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Physical Description: bronze (overall material)
Measurements: overall: 10.9 cm x 12.2 cm; 4 5/16 in x 4 13/16 in; overall, mortar: 4 3/8 in x 4 7/8 in; 11.1125 cm x 12.3825 cm; overall, pestle: 1 in x 6 1/2 in; 2.54 cm x 16.51 cm

Related Publication: Urdang, George and Ferdinand William Nitardy. The Squibb Ancient Pharmacy: A Catalogue of the Collection

See more items in: Medicine and Science: Medicine; European Apothecary; Religion; Art

National Museum of American History

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-7840-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa