A Rare Islamic Large Porphyry Mortar

With ‘stylised’ lobes and pouring spout
Old fissures and break
Porphyry, iron ring to base
Egypt
13th / 14th Century

PROVENANCE:
Purchased Italy 2011
Ex Private collection

Virtually every piece of porphyry was quarried by convicts and slaves from the Egyptian eastern desert at Gebel Dokhan. The quarries were opened in the early 1st century AD and worked until the 5th century AD. They were most actively worked under the Roman Emperors Nero, Trajan and Hadrian. The Emperors reserved the colour purple for their own use and so porphyry and the Egyptian quarries became their exclusive Roman Imperial property. Islamic carved mortar was probably carved in Egypt from an earlier mined or worked block.