17th C. Spanish Bronze Apothecary Mortar & Pestle with Relief Heads

拍品描述

Southern Europe, Spain, ca. 1600–1699 CE. A cast bronze mortar and its pestle, made as a working set for grinding drugs, spices, and pigments. The mortar has a flared, everted rim and a squat, slightly waisted body on a molded foot. Four relief heads circle the wall, framed by curling locks or a shaggy mane, and are separated by vertical flanges with knobbed ends. The heads may be gorgoneia, or Hercules wearing the skin of the Nemean lion as a hood. Either reading suits the classicizing taste of the period. The interior has a smooth, mellow golden surface from long use. The pestle has a turned, knopped shaft with a small finial at one end and a broad, flat disc at the other, where the hammered texture of the metal is still visible. Size of mortar: 3" H x 4.4" Diam (7.6 cm H x 11.2 cm Diam); pestle:: 6.75" L x 1.5" W (17.1 cm L x 3.8 cm W). The two possible readings of the heads come from different classical traditions. The gorgoneion, the severed head of Medusa, was the oldest protective device in Greek and Roman art. It was placed on shields, armor, and doorways to turn away harm, and Renaissance and Baroque metalworkers revived it as an ornament. Hercules, by contrast, wore the hide of the Nemean lion, killed in the first of his twelve labors, with the animal's scalp pulled over his own head. Spanish rulers had long claimed the hero as a legendary founder of the Iberian monarchy, so a Herculean head would fit naturally on a Spanish object. Bronze mortars with vertical flanges or ribs, often finished with knobs like these, are among the most typical forms from Iberian workshops of the 16th and 17th centuries. The flanges were decorative, but they also strengthened the wall against the steady pounding of the pestle. SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item #205565

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