Lot 302A

17th C. Spanish Marble Mortar & Pestle Apothecary, Incised Crosses

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17th C. Spanish Marble Mortar & Pestle Apothecary, Incised Crosses

Estimate: $2,100 - $3,150

Starting Bid: $1,050

(0 Bids)

by Artemis Fine Arts
June 11, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Western Europe, Spain., ca. 1600 - 1699 CE. A fine Spanish marble mortar and pestle, hand-carved from a single block of creamy white stone with a soft, timeworn surface. The mortar features a thick-walled, circular basin set within a quatrefoil form, the four projecting corners each bearing an incised cross. These subtle religious emblems lend the vessel a devotional quality, suggesting use within a monastic or ecclesiastical context where apothecaries prepared pigments, incense, or medicinal compounds. The pestle, turned to a tapered cylindrical shape with a rounded head, fits comfortably within the mortar's deep cavity. Together they exemplify the restrained elegance and practicality of early modern craftsmanship, when utilitarian forms were often imbued with spiritual symbolism. Mortars such as this one served both sacred and domestic functions, bridging the physical and the divine in the preparation of material substances. Size: 7.5" Diameter x 4.3" H (19 cm x 10.9 cm)

The stone's surface retains traces of wear consistent with centuries of use, and the overall form remains solid and pleasingly tactile, a testament to the enduring artistry of Spanish stoneworkers of the Baroque period.

Provenance: ex-private collection, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA, collected from 1980 to 2015

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Item # 198213

  • Condition: Weathering with nicks and pitting to surface as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with smooth pounding surfaces.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 + $1,000