A rare mortar with four animal head handles - image-1
A rare mortar with four animal head handles - image-2
A rare mortar with four animal head handles - image-1A rare mortar with four animal head handles - image-2

Lot 522 Dα

A rare mortar with four animal head handles

Auction 1152 - overview Cologne
29.05.2020, 11:00 - Highly Important Mortars from the Schwarzach Collection II
Estimate: 3.000 € - 4.000 €
Result: 6.000 € (incl. premium)
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A rare mortar with four animal head handles

Chased cast bronze with brownish green patina. Of almost octagonal section, slightly rounded due to usage, with protruding upper rim. The decor separated via pilasters into eight vertical segments with alternating motifs: Four loops with animal head mascarons and four rings of varying sizes and four raised rhombus motifs. Interior sintered. H 11.1, D 15.5 cm. Weight 3,700 g. Including a corresponding double-ended pestle.
Eastern Iran or Central Asia, 12th - 13th century.

Literature

A similar mortar housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, mus.no. 466-1876.
Cf. also a mortar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, acc.no. 12.33.4.
Cf. von Folsach, Kunst fra Islams Verden i Davids Samling, Copenhagen 2001, no. 477.