Lot 335, Auction 3/19/2026: 17th C. Spanish Marble Mortar and Pestle with Crosses

$1,690.00

In stock

Western Europe, Spain, ca. 17th century CE. A fine Spanish marble mortar and pestle, hand-carved from a single block of creamy white stone with a soft, timeworn surface. The mortar features a thick-walled, circular basin set within a quatrefoil form, the four projecting corners each bearing an incised cross. These subtle religious emblems lend the vessel a devotional quality, suggesting use within a monastic or ecclesiastical context where apothecaries prepared pigments, incense, or medicinal compounds. The pestle, turned to a tapered cylindrical shape with a rounded head, fits comfortably within the mortar’s deep cavity. Together they exemplify the restrained elegance and practicality of early modern craftsmanship, when utilitarian forms were often imbued with spiritual symbolism. Mortars such as this one served both sacred and domestic functions, bridging the physical and the divine in the preparation of material substances. Size: 7.5″ Diameter x 4.3″ H (19 cm x 10.9 cm)

The stone’s surface retains traces of wear consistent with centuries of use, and the overall form remains solid and pleasingly tactile, a testament to the enduring artistry of Spanish stoneworkers of the Baroque period.

Condition: Weathering with nicks and pitting to surface as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with smooth pounding surfaces.

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 2010 to 2015

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.