Mortar and pestle. Thailand, before the 17th century

Mortar and pestle. Thailand, before the 17th century.
Stone.
Shows erosions.
Provenance: Richard Borremans, Bangkok.
Measurements: 12 cm (diameter).

In the old recipe books there is a great quantity of recipes based on the use of the mortar, utensil that although nowadays is hardly used, in the past it was so varied in its use that every kitchen had a great variety of them, from the biggest ones to grind meats and vegetables to the smaller ones to grind spices. Already in antiquity there were large mortars, made of bronze to grind and mix marble or lime, which were used to make construction binders or plasters, such as stucco. The Roman poet Juvenal named it in articles for the preparation of drugs, reflecting the early use of this instrument in apothecaries. The antiquity of mortars is also well documented in some works of ancient literature, such as the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, dating from 1550 B.C., which is considered one of the oldest documents on medicine in ancient Egypt. It is also mentioned in the Old Testament. Good mortars must be heavy or made of strong materials to withstand prolonged pounding and thus reduce the substances to powder. The mortar cannot be brittle as it would break during the pulverizing operation. The material must also be cohesive so that its surface does not wear away and mix with the ingredients.