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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy cosmetic mortar dating to the Iron Age to early Roman period. The cosmetic mortar is an elongated crescent in profile with an integral loop beneath one terminal. The loop is circular with a circular perforation. The body of the mortar is 'V' shaped in section, which tapers in width and depth towards each terminal becoming shallower. The base of the mortar is pointed. The terminal end without the loop, terminates with a pointed tip. The surface of the mortar has a pitted and is a light greyish-green patina.Similar end-looped cosmetic mortars can be seen in Ralph Jackson's paper on 'Cosmetic sets from the late Iron Age and Roman Britain' (1985: Britannia, Vol. 16, pp165- 192). It can be dated to the late Iron Age to early Roman periods, circa 1st - 2nd century AD. These mortar and pestle sets would probably have been used to grind minerals for make up and were a uniquely British object.Some examples are in the British Museum: (references as follows) BM P&E P1976 5-1 505-506 1900 7-2 1-2 P&E DR. 1-72.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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