Bronze Mortar, Veneto, 16th Century

A lost-wax cast bronze mortar with a body defined by a large number of parallel, successive frames that mark its circumference; and decorated with classical plant motifs: floral garlands, seemingly suspended from the lowest ring-shaped frame at the top of the mortar, and acanthus leaves.
Two elegant, anthropomorphic handles of refined workmanship facilitate gripping and handling.

Veneto, 16th century.

Dimensions:

Height 22.2 cm x lower diameter 18 cm x upper diameter 26 cm

This particular type of bronze mortar, made using the lost-wax casting technique, was often intended for pharmaceutical use.
Inside them, various raw materials were, with the aid of bronze pestles, crushed and ground until reduced to powder and could then be used, alone or mixed with others, for pharmacological purposes.

In this particular case, the functional artifact was crafted using complex techniques and was exquisitely shaped and decorated, resulting in works of art that were highly functional and aesthetically refined and captivating.


Bibliography

Giorgio Lise, “Antichi Mortai di farmacia,” 1975 Silvana editoriale d’arte, Milan

Ulrich Middeldorf, “Fifty Mortars 15th–18th Century”, 1981 Florence


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