17th-century Flemish Cast-Iron Apothecary Jar with Stamping – 30.7 kg

Are you looking for a rare and impressive piece of medical-pharmaceutical heritage from the Haute Époque? This antique cast iron apothecary mortar It was recently acquired from a historical pharmacy in Flanders. The object is in a stunning, pristine condition. Moreover, the set has an impressive total weight of a whopping 30.7 kg. This makes it not an everyday-use item. It is a powerful pre-industrial tool for heavy machining operations.

This specific antique cast iron apothecary mortar dates from the second half of the 17th century (approx. 1650–1700). This was a period of prosperity for the Flemish pharmacy in cities such as Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. Richly decorated bronze variants often adorned the counter in plain sight of the customer at the time. In contrast, cast-iron ‘beukvijzels’ were the indestructible workhorses behind the scenes. They were intensively used to crush tough herbs, botanical roots, resins and hard minerals.

The object exhibits all the rare, artisanal product characteristics that unequivocally confirm its early age. At the bottom is the characteristic, rough round casting spout (sprue mark) Visible. This is the place where the liquid iron flowed into the mold. This is an important technological detail. In short, it proves that this object was manufactured before the industrial innovations of the early 18th century. Additionally, the exterior shows the authentic vertical sand mold with two parts.

This simple ‘knoppot’ model is equipped with heavy horizontal reinforcement rings and two sturdy, blunt knob handles. These ears were essential for use at the time. This way, the antique cast iron apothecary mortar Firmly anchored with clamps or thick ropes in a deep cavity of an oak tree trunk block. This prevented the heavy metal from shifting due to the hard impacts of the woodpecker. The set is fully complete with the original, matching massive iron woodpecker. Finally, the metal has a beautifully aged, deep dark patina with natural flaking rust on the bottom. This museum-worthy masterpiece is a unique sculptural statement piece for a high-end, understated or Wabi-Sabi interior.