French
Mortar and Pestle, second half of 19th century
Cast bronze, three piece mold
A cast bronze mortar and pestle secured to a wooden base. The mortar, or bowl, is shaped like an upside-down bell. The foot of the mortar is undecorated. The body of the mortar is decorated with raised floral patterns along the top just below the lip. Swags of flowers and leaves surround the middle of the body. Just above the foot is a pattern of upside-down “v” shapes that overlap to create smaller “v’s” below. At the apex of the larger “v” shapes are small arrow tips. Sitting inside the mortar is the pestle. The round, flat end used for crushing sits in the bowl and tapers upward to form a handle.
Raphael Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.