16th C. European Brass Mortar w/ Sirens
Western Europe, Renaissance period, ca. 16th to 17th century CE. An impressive cast-brass mortar of hefty form decorated with Classical iconography. The elegant vessel exhibits straight walls that flare out to a wide mouth with a rolled rim, all sitting upon a circular foot. Lovely relief decorations adorn the exterior of the dish, presenting a pattern of 2 sirens, 2 goat or ram heads, and 2 palmettes or scallop shell motifs, each separated from one another via vertical buttresses. The fascinating sirens both display bare chests with legs comprised of 2 fish with upward pointing tails. Mortars like this example were commonly used in apothecaries for grinding various ingredients. Size: 5.3" in diameter x 4.4" H (13.5 cm x 11.2 cm)
As the Renaissance was named for its rebirth of Classical culture, the imagery on this mortar is heavily inherited from ancient Greece and Rome. First, hailing from Greek mythology and notably mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, the sirens were dangerous creatures, whose enchanting music and singing voices lured sailors to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Though represented as birds with the heads of women in Greek art, their depiction transformed to that of a mermaid figure, as seen here, during the Medieval period. The goat or ram heads are another decorative motif assumed from the ancient world. The heads of goats frequently adorned Roman architecture and were associated with the Roman god Bacchus (Greek Dionysus), god of wine and nature, and with the revels of the satyrs. Last, the palmettes, known as anthemia (singular anthemion) in the Classical world, were a typical embellishment painted on Greek pottery, as well as commonly used in Roman architecture. During the Renaissance, palmettes took the form of the inside of half of a scallop shell and became associated with the Roman goddess of love, Venus (Greek Aphrodite), and the god of the sea, Neptune (Greek Poseidon).
Provenance: private Randolph, New Jersey, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#167682
Condition Report: Expected surface wear with abrasions to interior and some minor nicks throughout, all commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice patina.
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Western Europe, Renaissance period, ca. 16th to 17th century CE. An impressive cast-brass mortar of hefty form decorated with Classical iconography. The elegant vessel exhibits straight walls that flare out to a wide mouth with a rolled rim, all sitting upon a circular foot. Lovely relief decorations adorn the exterior of the dish, presenting a pattern of 2 sirens, 2 goat or ram heads, and 2 palmettes or scallop shell motifs, each separated from one another via vertical buttresses. The fascinating sirens both display bare chests with legs comprised of 2 fish with upward pointing tails. Mortars like this example were commonly used in apothecaries for grinding various ingredients. Size: 5.3" in diameter x 4.4" H (13.5 cm x 11.2 cm)
As the Renaissance was named for its rebirth of Classical culture, the imagery on this mortar is heavily inherited from ancient Greece and Rome. First, hailing from Greek mythology and notably mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, the sirens were dangerous creatures, whose enchanting music and singing voices lured sailors to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Though represented as birds with the heads of women in Greek art, their depiction transformed to that of a mermaid figure, as seen here, during the Medieval period. The goat or ram heads are another decorative motif assumed from the ancient world. The heads of goats frequently adorned Roman architecture and were associated with the Roman god Bacchus (Greek Dionysus), god of wine and nature, and with the revels of the satyrs. Last, the palmettes, known as anthemia (singular anthemion) in the Classical world, were a typical embellishment painted on Greek pottery, as well as commonly used in Roman architecture. During the Renaissance, palmettes took the form of the inside of half of a scallop shell and became associated with the Roman goddess of love, Venus (Greek Aphrodite), and the god of the sea, Neptune (Greek Poseidon).
Provenance: private Randolph, New Jersey, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#167682
Condition Report: Expected surface wear with abrasions to interior and some minor nicks throughout, all commensurate with age and use. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice patina.
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Time, Location
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