antique bronze mortar 17th century tuscany

Beautiful original 17th century mortar of Tuscan provenance,beautiful patina . weight 4.2 kg mis.diam.16 cm h.11 cm Description the object, including pestle, is made of bronze, hollow, cylindrical shape flared at the edge. It has a marked foot and triple profile decoration also repeated on the rim. In opposite positions to each other and below the flaring at the rim are two sockets in the shape of a sepente head bent into an inverted "L." On the entire mortar, but not on the pestle, a slightly green patina of tin plating is denoted. The pestle, also made of bronze, is tapered toward the center and with equal handles placed at either end. In the center of the tapering pestle, the profile varies to form three annular edges coaxial to the pestle, two lateral ones of equal diameter and one larger in the center. Function: Used to crush herbs, spices, fibers, and reduce solid substances to powder.