Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13

Small 19th Century French Bronze Mortar with Pestle

About the Item

This small bronze mortar and pestle are from 19th century France. The outside of the mortar has been adorned with mascarons and geometric patterns that rise from chased sides. The pestle has segments separated by recessed reeding and raised discs. The original use of a mortar and pestle was to aid pharmacists in crushing herbs into powder for medicinal purposes. In France, they were also used in the kitchens of grand chateaux. The material used to construct a mortar and pestle is almost always a hard substance, such as marble or stone, which could stand up to the rigors of use. Today, they are quite collectible, and although they can still be used in the kitchen for grinding spices, they are mostly used as decorative bowls or accessories.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)Diameter: 4.375 in (11.12 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1800s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. CONDITION: Very good antique condition with wear commensurate to age and use. Slight oxidation to mortar with trace elements on the pestle.
  • Seller Location:
    Dallas, TX
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 320-2A1stDibs: LU906321558122
More From This SellerView All
  • Antique French Marble Mortar with Pestle, 19th Century
    Located in Dallas, TX
    During antiquity, mortars and pestles were used to grind up herbs for cooking or by pharmacists to make medicinal powders. They are typically constructed from a hardened substance, s...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Stone, Marble

  • Small French Bronze Mortar and Pestle with Fleur De Lys and Crown, Circa 1700
    Located in Dallas, TX
    This small bronze mortar and pestle are from France, circa 1700. The circular opening has several layers of molding, with the bottom three interrupted by a pair of open crowns on opp...
    Category

    Antique Early 1700s French Louis XIV Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Circa 1800 French Marble Mortar with Wooden Pestle
    Located in Dallas, TX
    This very old carved marble mortar and wooden pestle dates to circa 1800 and originally came from France. The original use of a mortar and pestle was to ...
    Category

    Antique Early 1800s French Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Marble

  • Antique Deep Black Marble Mortar from France, 19th Century
    Located in Dallas, TX
    Although the earliest mortars and pestles were utilized for cooking during the Stone Age, in more recent centuries they were employed by pharmacists to grind herbs into powder for medicinal purposes. They were almost always constructed from a hardened substance, such as this 19th century French marble mortar. The deep black...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Stone, Marble

  • Large French Antique Cast iron Mortar with Pestle, Circa 1800
    Located in Dallas, TX
    A unique example of the traditional French pharmacy mortar, this cast iron version is from circa 1800 and features a large wooden pestle (16 inc...
    Category

    Antique Early 1800s French Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Metal, Iron

  • Heavy 16th Century French Bronze Mortar with Handles, Dated 1587, 109 lbs
    Located in Dallas, TX
    A large and heavy (it weighs 109 lbs!) example of a traditional French pharmacy bowl, this bronze mortar with handles is from 1587, as seen on the production date beneath the molded ...
    Category

    Antique 16th Century French Renaissance Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Metal, Bronze

You May Also Like
  • Mid-19th Century French Patinated Bronze Mortar with Original Pestle
    Located in Dallas, TX
    Grind spices in your kitchen with this beautifully carved, antique mortar; crafted in France, circa 1850, and made of bronze, the bowl is round in shape with a wide mouth at the top, and decorated with engraved floral motifs. The decorative kitchen essential is in excellent condition with rich patinated gilt finish and has the original 8 " bronze pestle...
    Category

    Antique Mid-19th Century French Gothic Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Bronze

  • 19th Century French Cast Iron Mortar with Pestle
    Located in High Point, NC
    With its solid proportions and sculptural form, this antique cast iron mortar and pestle is a one of a kind find. Made in France in the 1800s, this piece would have been an integral ...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Rustic Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Iron

  • 19th Century Mortar & Pestle with Original Surface
    Located in New York, NY
    American, late 18th century/early 19th century wooden mortar and pestle. The urn shaped mortar with rich patina has a wonderful ...
    Category

    Antique 1790s Federal Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche

    Materials

    Maple, Wood

  • 19th Century Kitchen Mortar and Pestle
    Located in Chicago, IL
    A fantastic 19th century American kitchen hardwood mortar with a turned softwood pestle. It’s likely that this mortar would have lived in a larger wood or marble holder, and removed ...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century American Primitive Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Wood

  • Antique Cast Iron Mortar and Pestle, 19th Century
    Located in Esbjerg, DK
    Finely proportioned, medium sized cast iron mortar and pestle. With its original finish and excellent patina. Authentic, nice and heavy. Eu...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century European Victorian Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Iron

  • Bronze Mortar with Pestle, 20th Century, Antral Pharmaceutical
    Located in Lisbon, PT
    Open-ended cylindrical bronze mortar with two handles, a decoration in bands on the outside with inscription in capital letters “ATRAL”, a 1950s edition for a Portuguese Pharmaceuti...
    Category

    20th Century Portuguese Baroque Revival Decorative Bowls

    Materials

    Bronze

Recently Viewed

View All