Name/Title
Yellowware or ironstone mortar (bowl)Entry/Object ID
100079Scope and Content
(AI) This is not a regular kitchen bowl or crock. What you have here is an antique yellowware or ironstone mortar (the bowl part of a mortar and pestle set), featuring a molded lion's head lug handle on the side.
The Ceramic Piece
The Style: The thick, heavy rim and the rounded body were designed specifically to withstand the heavy downward force and friction of a pestle grinding up solid materials.
The Decorative Lug: That small raised detail on the right side is a molded lion's head. On 19th-century utility pottery, these weren't just decorative; they acted as a small grip or "lug" to help keep the heavy bowl steady in your hand or on the counter while grinding.
The Use: A mortar like this would have been a staple in either a 19th-century kitchen (for grinding spices, herbs, or sugar blocks) or an apothecary/doctor's kit (for crushing medicinal ingredients into powders). value ?
Connecting the Pieces
