Description:

Egypt, Roman Period, ca. 30 BCE to 2nd century CE. A hand-carved mortar, formed from beautiful, banded alabaster in hues of honey, peach, and cream. The hefty vessel features thick walls that rise to a tall hemispherical body with a deep basin, a flat shoulder, and four protruding handles spaced equidistantly around the circumference. A petite indentation on the top of one handle suggests that it may have been used as a spout. The surfaces of the shoulder and top half of the basin walls are incredibly smooth to the touch, and the lower half of the basin exhibits a coarse texture perhaps formed from centuries of gradual degradation. Size: 5.5" Diameter x 5.5" H (14 cm x 14 cm)

In ancient Egypt, mortars and pestles were used for a variety of tasks, including dehusking hulled wheat, making pastes for construction, grinding ingredients for medicinal remedies, and pulverizing other foodstuffs, though they were perhaps used as funerary offering bowls for its deceased owner. Smaller mortars have been found in the domestic housing at workmen's villages excavated at Deir el-Medina and Amarna.

Provenance: private San Francisco, California, USA collection, acquired 1970s to 2000s

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#174039

  • Condition: Losses to base and chipping throughout. Surface wear with nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Deep patina with mineral deposits on interior. Modern felt pads on base for protection.

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August 18, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000