A Rare Islamic Large Porphyry Mortar

Period: 13th / 14th Century

Medium: Porphyry, iron ring to base, Imperial Porphyry

Dimension: 18 x 32.5 cm (7¹/₈ x 12³/₄ inches)

Provenance: Purchased Italy 2011
Ex Private collection

Literature: 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.