Sicilian carved ivory pestle and mortar

An image of Sculpture/ Pestle and mortar. The mortar is decorated with bands of ornament: a) at the top: a plain rim; b) a band of stylised foliated scroll-work with three medallions, each containing a fabulous beast with a foliated tail: c) a band of key-hole ornament; d) a band of stylised foliated scroll-work with four medallions, each containing a rosette. Around the thick short stem the mortar has several mouldings, including another band of key-hole pattern.The pestle handle is decorated with a scale pattern with a band (at the top and bottom) of key-hole pattern. A bulbous knob terminates the handle, and is carved with a triangular pattern. Ivory elaborately carved, height, pestle, 8.0 in, height, mortar, 5 1/4 in, diameter, mortar at top, 2 3/4 in, diameter, mortar at bottom, 2 7/8 in. Circa 1700-1800. Production Place: Sicily.

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Sculpture/ Pestle and mortar. The mortar is decorated with bands of ornament: a) at the top: a plain rim; b) a band of stylised foliated scroll-work with three medallions, each containing a fabulous beast with a foliated tail: c) a band of key-hole ornament; d) a band of stylised foliated scroll-work with four medallions, each containing a rosette. Around the thick short stem the mortar has several mouldings, including another band of key-hole pattern.The pestle handle is decorated with a scale pattern with a band (at the top and bottom) of key-hole pattern. A bulbous knob terminates the handle, and is carved with a triangular pattern. Ivory elaborately carved, height, pestle, 8.0 in, height, mortar, 5 1/4 in, diameter, mortar at top, 2 3/4 in, diameter, mortar at bottom, 2 7/8 in. Circa 1700-1800. Production Place: Sicily.

Image data

Accession Number: M.40 & A-1940
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/45.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
Photographer name: Andrew Norman
Image height: 768 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 95.72kB
Exposure time: 1/60
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 45/1
Captured: 2013:01:29 16:43:09

Key words

18th Century carved creature elaborate Fitz_AA Italian ivory key-hole keys medallions mortar mortar and pestle patterned pestle pestle and mortar scales sculpture Sicilian

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025)
            "Sicilian carved ivory pestle and mortar"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-2558635405 Accessed: 2025-12-05 12:45:07

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            {{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-2558635405
            |title=Sicilian carved ivory pestle and mortar
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 12:45:07|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Sicilian carved ivory pestle and mortar</figcaption>
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