Brass Mortan and Pestle Help please.

[Tiezto]

Brass Mortar and Pestle Help please.

Hi, I picked this up today but not sure of its worth or age etc? From looking at google pics it might be 18th century and maybe indian? I can't work out the marks.

Any help would be great. Thanks

 

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[Tiezto]

Bigger pic of mark.

 

[kuger]

Not Indian,would be used by a Pharmacist or mineral assays...cant help ya on time frame....I still use one very similar in gold sampling

 

[Tiezto]

Not Indian,would be used by a Pharmacist or mineral assays...cant help ya on time frame....I still use one very similar in gold sampling

Nice

I would love to know what the mark is and the No1 is all about if anyone has any ideas

 

[Paleopilot]

View attachment 725950




Bigger pic of mark.

Is that a date I'm seeing? 1904?

 

[Tiezto]

Is that a date I'm seeing? 1904?

No its a funny running writing like indian from what i can see

 

[kuger]

No its a funny running writing like indian from what i can see

...did you mean "Indian",as in INDIA..?If you did,I apologize......it may be.....I thought you meant Native Amer.........Mortar and pestle....

 

[Tiezto]

This is what the Mark looks like

 

[Tiezto]

...did you mean "Indian",as in INDIA..?If you did,I apologize......it may be.....I thought you meant Native Amer.........Mortar and pestle....

No problems but yeah India, Indians not Cowboys and Indians

 

[Tiezto]

It looks Hindi to me - Hindi alphabet, pronunciation and language - very similar

 

[Tiezto]

BUMP

 

[capt-zero]

It's an apothecary mortar and pestle used by druggists from the 16th until the early 20th centurys. They changed from brass with the advent of sulfa drugs to treat infections in the late 19th century. Sulfa drugs and brass didn't mix well. Nice find, but probably not extremely valuable. Very nice decorative piece though.

 

[Tiezto]

It's an apothecary mortar and pestle used by druggists from the 16th until the early 20th centurys. They changed from brass with the advent of sulfa drugs to treat infections in the late 19th century. Sulfa drugs and brass didn't mix well. Nice find, but probably not extremely valuable. Very nice decorative piece though.

Thanks mate

It would be great to be able to date it, and interesting if its 16th or 20th century.


I also failed to mention, i paid $4 for it.

 

[capt-zero]

I'm pretty sure it's from a later period. I just meant that brass mortar and pestles have actually been in use since even the Roman times, but that particular shape was first associated with druggists in medieval times. Most likely with the lathe marks on the bottom and the "no.1" (probably a size denoter) it's probably from the late 19th to the early 20th. It's quite possible that one could buy a brand new one just like it today. Certainly worth $4. Nice find.