A MONUMENTAL RED GRANITE MORTAR AND PESTLE, PROBABLY DECCAN, 17TH CENTURY OR LATER

Each of polished stone, the mortar of bracketed rectangular form supported on an indented foot of similar form, the pestle of rounded cylindrical form, the handle narrower

This striking mortar is most reminiscent of a small number of similarly-shaped polished stone mortars. Usefully, one of these, now in the National Museum, Delhi, has an inscription mentioning Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, establishing the tradition as emanating from the Deccan (Zebrowski 1997, p.244).