Bronze mortar and pestle, Europe, 1701-1800
Click the thumbnails to enlarge
Cast in bronze, this pestle and the bell-shaped mortar were used by apothecaries and pharmacists to grind and pound hard spices and substances for drug preparations. Both the pestle and mortar are engraved with ornate patterns. Many mortars were made in bell foundries across Europe. Today, pestles and mortars are more likely to be found in kitchens rather than pharmacies.
Object number:
A12575
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: pharmacy
The preparation and medicinal dispensing of drugs.
Glossary: mortar
Cup-shaped vessel in which drugs or herbal mixtures are pounded with a pestle.
Glossary: pestle
An elongated piece of hard material usually made of stone. A pestle is used for grinding pigments, herbs, spices or other materials in a mortar.