Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Aztec Empire, ca. 1400 to 1521 CE. Wow! An incredibly rare example of an Aztec rock crystal (quartz) mortar. The rock crystal is a smoky, translucent grey, grading from lighter at the top to darker at the bottom. The rim is slightly inset from the body, which is sectioned by narrow incised lines, giving it slightly hexagonal appearance. The mortar sits on a rounded foot. This mortar was hand-carved, and made to grind materials for the ritual ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs, an important religious activity in Mesoamerican cultures. Size: 5" W x 2" H (12.7 cm x 5.1 cm)

The Aztec seem to have had a special affinity for beautiful stones and they were particularly skilled at carving hard stones in ways that highlighted their individual colors and translucent and/or opaque qualities. Lapidary artists were highly respected members of their society and their work was called "toltecayotl", or "the Toltec thing" because, like much Aztec art, it was inspired by the Toltecs who came before them. While today we classify rocks scientifically, i.e. igneous, sedimentary, etc., the Aztecs had a very different method for classifying them. Different rocks that they used in lapidary work (and shell, which they also considered a form of rock) were classified according to properties like brightness, density, healing power, and magical ability. Therefore, only certain types of rock could be used for manufacturing receptacles for ceremonial purposes: alabaster, marble, and rock crystal like this mortar.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex- private Arundel collection, Los Angeles, California, USA, between 1950 to 1970

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#123836

Professionally repaired from multiple pieces with visible hairline fissures as shown. Nicks and chips to peripheries. Rare form with nice mineral deposits.