HvWO 158II

Small Bronze mortar and pestle

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Small bronze mortar and pestle

Scarce small bronze mortar and pestle. Measures: 7 cm high 8 cm diameter. Mortars also played an important role in pounding coffee. In 1836 Wellsted writes in his travels of Arabia (ref 1)  "One of the slaves kept pounding coffee from the time they first arrived. The pestle on these occasions is made to strike the sides and bottom of the mortar in such time and manner as to cause it to resemble the chiming bells, and the slave usually accompanies it with a song"

 

Name: Small bronze mortar and pestle

Period: 19th century?

Origin: Purchased in Oman Nizwa during the early 1980´s

    References:
  1. Travels in Arabia by Wellsted 1837 page 63-64
  2. Tribes in Oman by Carter Page 168
  3. Traditional crafts of Saudi Arabia 1981 by John Topham p 176, 177