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Pestle is a small conical shaped stone with slightly rounded butt. Mortar is a small bowl with flat base, wall rises at a steady outward slope with small raised ridge above base, thick walls with shallow cylindrical grinding area.
Mortar and Pestle
Courtesy of the Harn Museum of Art, Photography by Foad Seyed Mohammadi

Mortar and Pestle

Artist Costa Rican Artist
Date300-1550
Place of originNicoya, Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, North and Central America
MediumStone
Dimensionsmortar: 2 x 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 in. (5.1 x 9.5 x 9.5 cm)
pestle: 2 5/8 x 1 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (6.7 x 4.4 x 4.4 cm)
ClassificationsFurnishings and Equipment
Object numberS-86-10
Collections
Visual DescriptionPestle is a small conical shaped stone with slightly rounded butt. Mortar is a small bowl with flat base, wall rises at a steady outward slope with small raised ridge above base, thick walls with shallow cylindrical grinding area.
Small hand-sized pestle, cylindrical with end flaring to an oval butt, rounded by rocking back and forth motion.
Stone Pestle
Costa Rican Artist
300-1550
Large jar with rounded bottom slightly flared footing ring. Wall rises with outward slope, ridge at 1/3 height, beginning to curve inwards, steeply at top to neck with slightly inward slope, rim with semi round ridge bordering below it. Red slip on majority of vessel, left uncovered on lower wall below ridge, small round indentions in ridge bordering rim.
Large jar
Costa Rican Artist
1000-1550
Large jar with round bottom supported by large footing ring with flaring base. bottom curves up to wall, slightly ridges of angel break wall rises up then curves inward (pear shaped) to tall neck with slightly outward flare. Effigy face with raised eyes, nose, and ear loops, puffed cheeks and forehead. Numerous bands and small panels in red and black, including stepped grec design and other geometric forms along neck, lower wall and foot effigy face highlighted with black and red features, swe…
Footed jar with effigy
Costa Rican Artist
1200-1550
Bowl with gradually rounded bottom supported by tick conical tripod legs with small firing slit in sides and rattles within. bottom rounds into wall, begins to slope inward ten rises to outward flaring rim, attached head on side with pellet ears, eyes, and perhaps horn or forehead crest, pointy snout. Band of inscribed designs with single line border above and below design consists of repeated motif of a diagonal line with "jagged tooth" section set on same diagonal to the right. Vertical line …
Tripod bowl with head
Costa Rican Artist
1000-1550
Large jar with rounded bottom supported by large footing ring with flared base, bottom rounds up into wall with raised ring at 1/4 height, wall rises with shallow inward curve into long neck with slightly flared rim attached animal head with forehead crest and small pointy snout; several rings and panel bands around neck with geometric forms and panel of entwined serpent motif, wall divided into three sections by vertical black bands, ring of stepped grec motif around bottom with bands of red an…
Footed Jar with Figure Head
Costa Rican Artist
1200-1522
Small jar with small flattened area on otherwise rounded bottom, curving up to outward sloping wall, raised ridge at angle break - 1/2 height inward slope to small raised rim with slight outward flare, three conical nubbins, evenly spaced, on upper wall. Brown ware with red slip.
Small Jar
Costa Rican Artist
undated
Guinea engraved, orange brown ware; small pot with spherical bottom supported on a raised footed ring flaring out at bottom with rounded edge, wall curves outward to 1/2 height large raised ridge, wall indents inward, runs up with slight inward slope, flat outward facing ring; brown ware with red slip, incised rings on rim with clusters of four vertical lines at edge, small incised notched around rim and ridge, two panels on upper walls, bordered with incised lines with angular "S" pattern, foot…
Small Footed Pot
Costa Rican Artist
300-500
Small bowl with slightly rounded base supported on small tripod nubbins, area between nubbins is slightly concave. Wall rises straight with slight outward slope to rim. 2 inscribed bands near rim, another near bottom frame panel area - 2 inscribed monkey figures on opposite sides - reclined with knees bent, hands held out in front, long tail curling out behind.
Tripod bowl
Maya Artist
700-850
Bowl with gradually rounded bottom supported by thick, conical tripod legs, firing slits in sides with rattles contained. Wall slopes inward from base to one-third of height, then straight up to rounded rim. Animal head attached to side, large pellet eyes, raised brow ridges around eyes, pointy snout, possibly turtle or reptile. Inscribed band of panels around straight section of wall. Two panels of diamond patterns, alternate diamonds cross-hatched with more diamonds, panels separated by series…
Tripod Bowl with Head
Costa Rican Artist
700-1522
Globular jar with slightly rounded bottom, curving up into gradually rounded wall, angle break at 2/3 height with wall sloping inwards to raised rim with outward slope. grey ware with black slip, 4 nubbins attached to wall just above angle break in quadrants, opposites paired with one set a round nub with raised lateral crest ridge and slit at 1/2 height, other set is cylindrical numb ridges angled downward off sides.
Globular Jar
Costa Rican Artist
1200-1550
Small round bowl with short raised ring for support base, interior of ring sloped to bowl, rounded wall with outward slope to rim, raised ridge two thirds up, sharp break of angle underneath, gradual slope on top, rounded rim, smooth rounded interior; brown ware with red slip on exterior, band of red pigment around interior rim, red painted figure of animal, probably a bird, on interior bottom - swirling arcs of feathers and/or claws.
Bowl with Dragon Image
Costa Rican Artist
700-1522
Late Polychrome Period, orange on buff. Small rounded bowl with 1" tall base ring, flaring outward, rounded concave underneath - wall slopes outward, slightly rounded, with outward flare of rim, angled downward - one small nubbin on side beneath rim. Rim divided into 6 even sections by 3 groups of incised parallel lines, separated by blank sections. Brown ware with red slip.
Footed Bowl
Costa Rican Artist
1200-1525

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