Harvard Art Museums > 1973.40: Mortar Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Mortar (Unknown Artist) , 1973.40,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 26, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/216678. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1973.40 People Unknown Artist Title Mortar Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date 12th-13th century Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran Period Seljuk-Atabeg period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/216678 Physical Descriptions Medium leaded brass Technique Cast Dimensions 13 x 17 cm (5 1/8 x 6 11/16 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Anonymous Gift Accession Year 1973 Object Number 1973.40 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This mortar is decorated with incised Kufic benedictory inscriptions and geometric decoration. The crescents on the rim were probably originally inlaid with silver. Mortars had a wide variety of uses, including the pounding of herbs and spices for cooking or medicinal purposes and the pounding of various other materials for artisans and alchemists. This mortar was cast and is composed of a leaded brass alloy, a typical method of manufacture. Leaded alloys had the advantages of being cheap, easy to cast, heavy and stable. Disadvantages included a susceptibility to damage through repeated use (as seen here in the bulging base), and more seriously, lead poisoning, particularly if an acidic substance were pounded in the mortar. Notes from the Glory and Prosperity exhibition, Feb - June 2002. Exhibition History Islamic Art From the Collections of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 08/01/1974 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
