mortar (food processing & storage)

Wooden mortar with four crosses burnt into the sides with circles on the end of each crossing line. The top has a stepped band burnt into the rim. The top section tapers inwards towards the base leading to a mid section with a raised band burnt to a dark colour, then diamond shapes carved in deep relief revealing the dark red colour of the inside of the wood. The base section has four sets of four burnt dots on the alternating alignment with the cross decoration of the main body. The base is wider than the main section and is rounded towards the flat bottom. The inside bowl is deeply carved, to the level of the mid section of the mortar with some residue left inside.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
10.2.62/38a
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 221 mm x 134 mm x 124 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring anthropology

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk