This extremely large, solid wood pestle normally sits on the hearth of my fireplace. It had been in the attic of my parents' home for several years.
How this primitive tool came into the possession of my family is unknown. It may have belonged to my father's grandparents, great grandparents, or possibly earlier ancestors.
This pestle measures 36 inches tall, and weighs approximately 5 pounds. The handle section is very smooth to the touch.
The circumference of the bottom section measures 6 inches; the top and smallest part is one and one-half inches.
The use of pestles to grind and crush grains and herbs continues to be popular. Today's mortars and pestles appear to be mostly made of marble or granite and are much, much smaller than the pestle photographed above.
Saw your blog listed at Geneabloggers, congratulations. Very interesting post and also what a great treasure.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Moises Garza
We Are Cousins - My personal blog about Northeastern Mexico and South Texas Genealogy
Mexican Genealogy - Blog where anyone with Mexican roots can get started with their family genealogy and history.