Charles II Lignum Vitae Mortar

Turned from the dense and richly coloured wood lignum vitae (“wood of life”), this mortar is a fine survival from the later 17th century. Lignum vitae, imported from the West Indies from the early 16th century, was prized for its extraordinary hardness, weight, and natural oils, making it ideal for objects that required durability, such as mortars, pestles, and naval block pulleys.
The bold baluster form with ring-turned decoration reflects the Restoration taste for robust classical profiles, while its survival in such condition attests to the exceptional qualities of the timber. Mortars of this type would have been used in apothecaries and kitchens alike, for grinding herbs, spices, or medicinal ingredients, linking them both to domestic life and to the wider culture of early modern medicine.