Classic, large, vesicular basalt mortar and pestle used by Native Americans, probably of California origin, 15" tall and 12" in diameter. The grinding hole is 9" deep, and there is a 9" chip out of one side. The grinding stone is 9" long and 3.5" diameter. In the late 1940s and 50s, Dorothy Batchelor and another woman owned a home at 101 Court Street in Reno, Nevada, directly south across the street from the historic Washoe County Court House. There they offered several cabins to women seeking "quicky divorces" where they could fulfill the Nevada law requiring residency in the state for six months prior to obtaining a divorce. The two women also owned an antique store, where many items from the 40s and 50s experience were sold. Through that business, this mortar and pestle was acquired by Dorothy, who later retired to Grass Valley, California, where it passed to the consignor in 1985 after Dorothy's death.Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance: