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Grinding Stone to Art Object: Medicine As Well As in the Preparation of Food by Primitive Man

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Grinding Stone to Art Object: Medicine As Well As in the Preparation of Food by Primitive Man Grinding Stone to Art Object: medicine as well as in the preparation of food by primitive man. The antiquity of these devices is well Mortar ('morte(r)) The Mortar and Pestle documented in early writings, such as the Egyptian Seems to derive from the Old French mortier; the Latin from the Renaissance to the Present "Papyrus Ebers" of c. 1550 B.C.E. (the oldest preserved mortarium is of obscure origin, though as early as the Michael J. Brody medical manuscript) and the Old Testament (Numbers fourteenth century it referred to both crushed drugs and 11:8 and Proverbs 27:22). a vessel in which substances were mixed, ground, or As the Director and Curator of the Marvin Samson pounded. Center for the History of Pharmacy at University of the Whether improvised from nature to be used primarily as Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), it gives me great pleasure grinding stones [no. 28] or designed, fabricated, and to present a selection of some of the most interesting Pestle ('pεs(e)l, 'pεst(e)l) decorated to a degree that merits status as veritable art mortar and pestle sets from our collections. It is only Can be traced back to the thirteenth-century Old French objects [nos. 7, 8, 12, 18], mortars are found in every fitting that USP, founded in 1821 as the College of pestel, from the Latin pistillum, for pounder, which corner of the earth. Their users include members of Apothecaries (notably the western hemisphere's first derived from pinsere, to pound, bray, or crush. isolated tribes, professional and household cooks, school of pharmacy), should maintain important students, scientists, and pharmacists. At least two mortars holdings of these vessels. With thirty-one examples from on display have specialized functions in food preparation: over a dozen countries, and in materials such as stone, the Mexican example, formed from volcanic rock [no. 9], metal, wood, glass, ceramic, and ivory, the current whose rough composition excels at cutting and grinding exhibition attests to the astounding diversity these objects chili or red pepper; and the highly decorative Near have displayed over the past 450 years. Eastern wooden example [no. 3], with a tall and narrow inner cavity specifically designed for crushing coffee Acknowledgments Of all the articles comprising the pharmacist's beans. The centerpiece of the exhibition, a large brass For their assistance in the preparation of this exhibition I wish to armamentarium, mortars and pestles hold a place of mortar dated 1767, bears the imperial monogram of thank Susan Barrett, Heather Gibson and her able staff at honor as the indispensable, and therefore most Frederick the Great [no. 31], and was almost certainly art4business, Roberta LaRocca, Corrado Minimo, and Carolyn characteristic, tools of the profession. Since written Vivaldi. I am indebted to Salar Alsardary and the various colleagues used by the king's personal apothecary. history began, their association with pharmacy has been and students at USP who assisted me with the Arabic inscription so intimate that they have become emblematic of the and the cataloguing of the objects. My warmest gratitude goes to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for their enthusiastic and generous support apothecary's art. They were probably the earliest Michael J. Brody is the Director and Curator of the of this inaugural exhibition collaboration, which I hope endures as implements used in the practice of pharmacy and Marvin Samson Center for the History of Pharmacy a yearly event. at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Checklist of the Exhibition 9. Igneous (volcanic) rock mortar and pestle, Mexico, 19th or 20th century 17. Metal mortar and pestle, USA, circa 1963 26. Brass mortar and bronze pestle, perhaps Germany, dated 1752 Dimensions are in centimeters (cm); height (h.) refers to mortars, and when given, length (l.) refer to This unusual household mortar rests on three feet, and the design of its small, tear-shaped pestle The Schering Corporation issued this commemorative vessel in the 1960s. Its rim is inscribed twice, Along with the date, 1752, this vessel is inscribed "T. F. D", almost certainly the initials of the owner, pestles. All objects from the collections of the Marvin Samson Center for the History of Pharmacy, allows the user to hold it comfortably in the palm. at the rim, with secundum artem, "according to the rules of the art [or skill]", a Latin phrase who was likely a prominent apothecary. Dolphin handles were a regular design feature of European University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. h. 8.5 cm; 7 cm 1995.2.35 A&B frequently used in the medical and pharmaceutical professions; the "Rx" (prescription) insignia mortars staring from the sixteenth century. appears twice on the body. The pestle is labeled "coricidin," a prescription drug for cold symptom h. 19.5 cm 1940.1.115 Grinding Stone 1. Brass mortar, probably Germany, 19th century 10. Bronze mortar, Near East, perhaps Turkey, dated 1724 relief that became an over-the-counter brand in 1951. This cylinder-shaped example has a free-form foliate design on either side of its stylized dolphin The Arabic inscription around the upper portion of the vessel translates to: "Man of good deeds, h. 10.5 cm; l. 16.5 cm 1994.6.119 27. Wooden mortar and pestle, Taiwan, 20th century handles. charitable, and distinguished, Abbas Oda ['son of'] Sandan, 2nd, 3, in the year 1226 [i.e., 2 March This ebonized wood vessel bears the carved decoration of a male figure with open arms and legs h. 20.5 cm TL2004.3 1724 in the Gregorian calendar]." 18. Bronze mortar, probably Italy, 17th century repeated seven times around the outside wall. to Art Object: h. 13.5 cm 1994.6.97 A fine example of a richly-decorated mortar from this period, with dolphin handles, masks, swags, h. 12.6 cm; l. 17.8 cm 1995.9.12 A&B 2. Brass mortar and pestle, USA, c. 1939 and foliate motifs in high relief. This diminutive commemorative vessel is decorated with poppies and thistle in high relief and has an 11. Porcelain mortar and pestle, Morris L. Cooper Co., Baltimore, MD, c. 1955 h. 23 cm 1940.1.122 28. Natural rock mortar and pestle, North America, 19th century The Mortar and Pestle artificial "bronze" patina applied. Inscribed in capital letters on its underside is: Petty's / He puts up / Because the inside bottom of this mortar is flat rather than curved, its pestle has a corresponding The antithesis of some of the "high design" objects in this exhibition, these components were found from the Renaissance to the Present prescriptions / 1883 - 1939 / in the fourth million, presumably a reference to the successful American cylinder-shaped base, which assists the user in reaching and incorporating substances near the wall of 19. Brass mortar and pestle, perhaps India or Northern Africa, 20th century in nature and only slightly, often crudely, re-shaped for their transformation into grinding and drug store chain. the vessel. This highly decorative mortar has four incised scenes depicting a king-like figure engaged with a mixing tools. h. 7.6 cm; l. 16 cm 1995.11.15 A&B h. 7.9 cm; l. 18.6 cm TL2004.1 A&B variety of people and animals. h. 11 cm; l. 26 cm TL2004.4 A&B h. 9.1 cm; l. 16.7 cm 1995.11.3 A&B 3. Wooden mortar and pestle, probably Syria, mid 19th century 12. Bronze mortar, probably India, 16th century 29. Bronze mortar, by Henryck Ter Horst, The Netherlands, dated 1638 Selections from Carved from a single tree trunk, this household mortar is thought to have been used primarily for The entire surface of this vessel is decorated with inscribed panels consisting of people, animals, and 20. Wooden mortar and pestle, probably England, 18th century The decoration on this example is a virtual compendium of late-Renaissance/early-Baroque motifs, the Marvin Samson Center contusing coffee. Both components are heavily decorated with incised geometric patterns. geometric designs; the eight scenes on the outer wall depict figures engaged in hunting and This set was machine-turned and polished from blocks of lignum vitae, a hardwood native to the including stylized leaves, cornucopia, baskets, and winged putti. h. 22.2 cm; l. 55.5 cm 1995.9.72 A&B meditation. West Indies and parts of Central and South America. Both components have an applied metal "W", h. 11 cm 1940.1.K for the History of Pharmacy h. 13.8 cm 1940.1.89 likely the first initial of the owner's last name. The elegantly-shaped pestle handle makes for a 4. Brass mortar, after a late-16th-century Dutch design comfortable grip when stirring contents. Ivory mortar and pestle, perhaps Spain, 17th century at University of the Sciences Although this example is inscribed at the rim Leefte Verwint al Dinck Anno 1590, it is apparently a 30. 13. Hardstone (porphyry) mortar and pestle, probably China, 19th century (or earlier) h. 21.3 cm; l. 27 cm 1940.1.101 A&B The long, slender pestle is characteristic of ivory mortars of this period. late-nineteenth or early-twentieth-century forgery, as it shows neither the quality nor the The inside bowl of this attractive and unusual, eye-shaped mortar shows signs of much use. h. 12.7 cm; l. 22.8 cm 1940.1.S in Philadelphia characteristic wear of a four hundred year-old object. Also, mortars by the Dutch manufacturer Porphyry, an igneous rock typically found in purple, green, or red (as seen here) varieties, has been 21. Stone mortar, United Kingdom, dated 1770 named in the inscription are more often cast in bronze.
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