{ "summary": { "title": "mortar and pestle" }, "identifier": [ { "accession_number": "nn8560", "type": "accession number", "value": "nn8560", "primary": true } ], "loan": { "value": "N" }, "projects": [ "CollectionsPeopleStories" ], "subject": [ { "summary": { "title": "Africa" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "place" } ], "attribution": { "attributor": "Learning Section" } }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-subject-25", "id": "subject-25", "uuid": "c8725caa-6d4d-36f1-a65c-df29f5f3cbb4" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "Food and Feasting" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "theme" } ], "attribution": { "date": [ { "earliest": 2013, "value": "2013-08-10", "latest": 2013, "primary": true } ], "attributor": "Shepherd, Rupert" } }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-subject-322", "id": "subject-322", "uuid": "0e9ef095-bd1f-31a7-b8ea-5711d437b7e6" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "Yoruba creation story" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "learning subject" } ], "attribution": { "attributor": "Learning Section" } }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-subject-293", "id": "subject-293", "uuid": "b489ba8a-8849-339d-8c77-a9aecf35834c" }, "@entity": "reference" } ], "description": [ { "type": "catalogue description", "value": "Hand carved wood, for pounding grain. Label attached \" Church Missionary Society\" Wets Africa\".\n\nPLACE: Yoruba region, Nigeria, West Africa\n\nRELATED OBJECTS: HOB - There are other Nigerian objects . Adire Cloth (African talk box), Nigerian hats (talk box), Ibeji figures (talk box), Agogo bells (left display cabinet and music trolley), \nAfrican Worlds - (Gelede Masks). \nMusic Gallery - (Video and artefacts from Yoruban ceremony. Also many examples of the use of natural materials in instruments.)", "primary": true }, { "historical": true, "type": "description", "value": "Hand carved wood, for pounding grain. Label attached \" Church Missionary Society\" Wets Africa\".\n\nPLACE: Yoruba region, Nigeria, West Africa\n\nRELATED OBJECTS: HOB - There are other Nigerian objects . Adire Cloth (African talk box), Nigerian hats (talk box), Ibeji figures (talk box), Agogo bells (left display cabinet and music trolley), \nAfrican Worlds - (Gelede Masks). \nMusic Gallery - (Video and artefacts from Yoruban ceremony. Also many examples of the use of natural materials in instruments.)" }, { "type": "description", "value": "Hand carved wood, for pounding grain. Label attached \" Church Missionary Society\" Wets Africa\".\n\nPLACE: Yoruba region, Nigeria, West Africa\n\nRELATED OBJECTS: HOB - There are other Nigerian objects . Adire Cloth (African talk box), Nigerian hats (talk box), Ibeji figures (talk box), Agogo bells (left display cabinet and music trolley), \nAfrican Worlds - (Gelede Masks). \nMusic Gallery - (Video and artefacts from Yoruban ceremony. Also many examples of the use of natural materials in instruments.)\n\nCONNECTED STORIES: The Yoruba traditionally believe in many gods (Orishas) who can influence daily life. At the birth of a child parents may consult a wise man (Babalawa) to find out which Orisha the child belongs to. The mortar and pestle represent Shango the god of thunder and lightning. The pestle striking the mortar is likened to lightning striking the earth and the sound to thunder. Mortars not in use are always turned upside down so that any bad spirits are trapped inside the bowl." }, { "historical": true, "type": "description", "value": "Hand carved wood, for pounding grain. Label attached \" Church Missionary Society\" Wets Africa\".\n\nPLACE: Yoruba region, Nigeria, West Africa" }, { "type": "manufacture basic (online)", "value": "Local woodcarvers make these mortars and pestles for sale in the local markets. However this is not a highly skilled craft and many mortars and pestles are quite roughly finished and are usually undecorated. They are practical utensils and not decorative objects.\n\nThe main wood used in Nigeria for the making of mortars and pestles is Fandherbis albida which grows on the savannah. A section of tree trunk is hollowed out using an axe and chisel. You can still clearly see the marks of the tools on this one." }, { "historical": true, "type": "use", "value": "Yoruba people traditionally believe in many gods (Orishas) who can influence daily life. At the birth of a child parents may consult a wise man (Babalawa) to find out which Orisha the child belongs to. The mortar and pestle represent Shango the god of thunder and lightning. The pestle striking the mortar is likened to lightning striking the earth and the sound to thunder. Mortars not in use are always turned upside down so that any bad spirits are trapped inside the bowl." }, { "historical": true, "type": "use", "value": "How is it used? \nThe grain is fed by hand into the bowl of the mortar to be pounded by the pestle (the long stick) which is thrown down upon it with enough force to split and crush the grain. Often two people each have a pestle and work together on opposite sides of the same mortar, taking it in turns to bring down their pestle. This way, the work is finished in half the time. Mortars and pestles come in a range of different sizes. \n\nWho is it used by and why them? \nTraditionally women prepare food in Nigeria, even though pounding grain using a mortar and pestle is hard physical work. Cereal grain such as wheat or maize is used to make dough, bread or dumplings, but first it needs to be crushed in a mortar into a fine powder (flour). There are strict male and female roles in traditional Yoruban society." }, { "historical": true, "type": "use", "value": "Pounding (grinding) food, mainly grain. Smaller sizes are used for herbs or berries." }, { "type": "use", "value": "Pounding (grinding) food, mainly grain. Smaller sizes are used for herbs or berries.\n\nHow is it used? \nThe grain is fed by hand into the bowl of the mortar to be pounded by the pestle (the long stick) which is thrown down upon it with enough force to split and crush the grain. Often two people each have a pestle and work together on opposite sides of the same mortar, taking it in turns to bring down their pestle. This way the work is finished in half the time. Mortars and pestles come in a range of different sizes. \n\nWho is it used by and why them? \nTraditionally, it is women who prepare food in Nigeria even though pounding grain using a mortar and pestle is hard physical work. Cereal grain, such as wheat or maize is used to make dough or bread or dumplings but first it needs to be crushed in a mortar into a fine powder (flour) There are strict male and female roles in traditional Yoruban society.\nThe Yoruba traditionally believe in many gods (Orishas) who can influence daily life. At the birth of a child parents may consult a wise man (Babalawa) to find out which Orisha the child belongs to. The mortar and pestle represent Shango the god of thunder and lightning. The pestle striking the mortar is likened to lightning striking the earth and the sound to thunder. Mortars not in use are always turned upside down so that any bad spirits are trapped inside the bowl." } ], "language": [ "eng" ], "collection": "Anthropology", "type": { "sub_type": [ "general" ], "scope": "TOP", "base": "object" }, "arrangement": { "other_finding_aids": "HMG - North Greenwich; Study Collections Centre; 1\/1; bay03; shB AND HMG - North Greenwich; Study Collections Centre; 1\/1; bay03; shB; Box09252" }, "multimedia": [ { "processed": { "preview": { "resizable": true, "format": "jpeg", "modified": 1222775264000, "location": "160\/483\/preview_WI_nn8560.jpg", "type": "image", "measurements": { "filesize": { "units": "bytes", "value": 881 }, "dimensions": [ { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "height", "value": 76 }, { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "width", "value": 76 } ] } }, "feature": { "resizable": true, "format": "jpeg", "modified": 1222775264000, "location": "160\/483\/feature_WI_nn8560.jpg", "type": "image", "measurements": { "filesize": { "units": "bytes", "value": 6383 }, "dimensions": [ { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "height", "value": 373 }, { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "width", "value": 373 } ] } }, "large": { "resizable": true, "format": "jpeg", "modified": 1222775264000, "location": "160\/483\/large_WI_nn8560.jpg", "type": "image", "measurements": { "filesize": { "units": "bytes", "value": 19624 }, "dimensions": [ { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "height", "value": 750 }, { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "width", "value": 750 } ] } }, "mid": { "resizable": true, "format": "jpeg", "modified": 1222775264000, "location": "160\/483\/mid_WI_nn8560.jpg", "type": "image", "measurements": { "filesize": { "units": "bytes", "value": 1388 }, "dimensions": [ { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "height", "value": 115 }, { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "width", "value": 115 } ] } }, "body": { "resizable": true, "format": "jpeg", "modified": 1222775264000, "location": "160\/483\/body_WI_nn8560.jpg", "type": "image", "measurements": { "filesize": { "units": "bytes", "value": 1319 }, "dimensions": [ { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "height", "value": 110 }, { "units": "pixels", "dimension": "width", "value": 110 } ] } } }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "image of object" } ], "attribution": { "type": "image (online)" } }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-media-160483", "id": "media-160483", "uuid": "6dcba5d8-df5b-3c84-87ee-75e94c6412b0" }, "legal": { "rights": [ { "holder": "Horniman Museum and Gardens", "type": "copyright" } ] }, "type": "image", "@entity": "reference" } ], "@admin": { "processed": 1745949739659, "sequence": 7604906, "uid": "hmc-object-8695", "added": 1664637550087, "stream": "collections-online", "id": "object-8695", "source": "hmc", "uuid": "40e72427-8685-31a0-8642-0d4308c5f96e" }, "material": [ { "type": "catalogue materials", "value": "wood", "primary": true } ], "culture": [ { "summary": { "title": "Yor\u00f9b\u00e1" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "maker or user" } ], "attribution": { "attributor": "curator" }, "variation": 0 }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-500922", "id": "term-500922", "uuid": "d4f5f4bf-4ec5-3cd3-9b7e-c3f8e34be9a1" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "@link": { "source": "catalogue" }, "name": [ { "type": "catalogue culture", "value": "Yor\u00f9b\u00e1" } ], "@entity": "literal" }, { "value": "Yoruba" }, { "value": "Yoruban" } ], "legal": { "status": "permanent collection" }, "name": [ { "type": "catalogue name", "value": "mortar and pestle", "primary": true }, { "type": "object name" }, { "@reference": { "summary": { "title": "mortars (food processing & storage)" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" } ], "variation": 114141 }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-503389", "id": "term-503389", "uuid": "376068a9-fecb-378c-b944-0acfaf5d03fe" }, "@entity": "reference" }, "type": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" }, { "@reference": { "summary": { "title": "pestles (food processing & storage)" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" } ], "variation": 117098 }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-503253", "id": "term-503253", "uuid": "cd34b20d-1d78-33f7-acb7-bab31a5a6c72" }, "@entity": "reference" }, "type": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" }, { "type": "object name" }, { "type": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)", "value": "mortar (food processing & storage)" }, { "type": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)", "value": "pestle (food processing & storage)" }, { "type": "object name", "value": "pestle and mortar" }, { "type": "object name", "value": "Mortar and pestle" } ], "options": { "option7": "Anthropology", "option5": "Eating and drinking", "use": "Used for pounding\/grinding food, mainly grain. The grain is fed by hand into the mortar (bowl) to be pounded by the pestle (stick) wchich splits and crushes the grain. Pounding grain is demanding physical work. Cerial grain such as wheat or maize is used to make dough or bread or dumplings. Despite the strict gender roles in traditional Yoruban society, this demanding physical work is typically done by women as they are the ones that traditionally prepare the food.", "flag4": "N", "option6": "Drewel, H. J. & Pemberton, J. 'Yoruba, Nine Centuries of African Art & Thought' Horniman Library 308(699) DRE.; \nHolmes, P. 'Nigeria, Giant of Africa' Horniman Library 308(699) HOL.; \nhttp:\/\/www.yoruba.org; \nhttp:\/\/www.africaguide.com", "flag3": "N", "system_count": "2", "flag2": "N", "option4": "CollectionsPeopleStories", "flag1": "N", "option1": "Before any cereal grain, such as rice or wheat or maize, can be used to make dough or bread or dumplings it needs to be crushed into a powder which is called flour. Using a mortar and pestle is a good way to do this but it can be slow and very hard work. If you buy your flour for cooking in a packet and from a shop, it has been prepared in a factory using fast machinery to crush and package it. Do not forget though that the same things need to be done to the grain to prepare it for use. While the process is the same, it is only the equipment that is different.", "option2": "Local woodcarvers make them for sale in the local markets, but this is not a highly skilled craft and many mortars and pestles are quite roughly finished and usually undecorated. They are practical utensils not decorative objects.\nThe main wood used in Nigeria for the making of mortars and pestles is Fandherbis albida which grows on the savannah. A section of tree trunk is hollowed out using an axe and chisel. You can still clearly see the marks of the tools on this one." }, "appraisal": [ { "source": "catalogue", "@entity": "lifecycle" } ], "term": [ { "summary": { "title": "Yor\u00f9b\u00e1" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "maker or user" } ], "attribution": { "attributor": "curator" } }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-500922", "id": "term-500922", "uuid": "d4f5f4bf-4ec5-3cd3-9b7e-c3f8e34be9a1" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "Yor\u00f9b\u00e1" }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-500922", "id": "term-500922", "uuid": "d4f5f4bf-4ec5-3cd3-9b7e-c3f8e34be9a1" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "pestles (food processing & storage)" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" } ] }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-503253", "id": "term-503253", "uuid": "cd34b20d-1d78-33f7-acb7-bab31a5a6c72" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "mortars (food processing & storage)" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "object name (Horniman Ethno.)" } ] }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-503389", "id": "term-503389", "uuid": "376068a9-fecb-378c-b944-0acfaf5d03fe" }, "@entity": "reference" } ], "category": [ { "type": "category1", "value": "Anthropology: Ethnography" } ], "physical": [ { "note": "Lister, Sian", "component": "overall", "term": "wood", "descriptor": "material", "@reference": { "summary": { "title": "wood" }, "@link": { "role": [ { "value": "material" } ] }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-term-1015488", "id": "term-1015488", "uuid": "9374e5ef-ab0b-3b66-84bd-3f9728ed1f9a" }, "sort": 1, "@entity": "reference" }, "type": "material" } ], "facility": [ { "summary": { "title": "see part records" }, "@link": { "current": "Y", "last": { "location": "Horniman Museum. Hands on Base" }, "purpose": "annual audit", "location": "Admin", "level1": "TOP RECORD", "level2": "see part records" }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-facility-11508", "id": "facility-11508", "uuid": "a707117f-0def-34c9-9f44-a908ae8cb9a3" }, "@entity": "reference", "primary": true }, { "summary": { "title": "see part records" }, "@link": { "date": { "earliest": 2002, "value": "2002-06-03", "latest": 2002 }, "current": "N", "role": [ { "value": "historical" } ], "last": { "level5": "000TOP", "location": "Horniman Museum", "level1": "FH", "level3": "000009", "level2": "SS" }, "location": "TOP RECORD", "level1": "see part records" }, "@admin": { "uid": "hmc-facility-11508", "id": "facility-11508", "uuid": "a707117f-0def-34c9-9f44-a908ae8cb9a3" }, "@entity": "reference" }, { "summary": { "title": "Hands on Base" }, "@link": { "date": { "earliest": 2007, "value": "2007-12-10", "latest": 2007 }, "level4": "individual locations on part records", "current": "N", "role": [ { "value": "historical" } ], "last": { "location": "see part records", "level1": "TOP" }, "purpose": "Learning Portal", "location": "Horniman Museum. 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