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Mortar

15th century
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 10
Medieval healing compounds commonly included herbs and spices, many of which could be grown and prepared at home. Toward the later Middle Ages, patients increasingly looked to apothecaries, who mixed medicines in their shops from an array of ingredients stored in glazed ceramic jars. These components sometimes required processing before mixing. For example, apothecaries relied on mortars and pestles to grind hard substances like nuts and seeds into powders that would dissolve in suspension. Manuals and recipe books were integral to medicinal concoction and dosage. The Latin inscription around the lid of the book box in this display translates to "live by the virtue of medicine," suggesting it once carried a small medical volume to be used on housecalls.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mortar
  • Date: 15th century
  • Culture: North German
  • Medium: Bell metal
  • Dimensions: Overall: 9 1/16 x 7 3/4 x 7in. (23 x 19.7 x 17.8cm)
    Base: 5 1/2in. (14cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Bell Metal
  • Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.101.1539
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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