Vintage Javanese Mortar & Pestle – Traditional Spice Grinder

Vintage Javanese Mortar & Pestle – Traditional Spice Grinder

  • A rustic carved wooden mortar and pestle with a sculpted human head, styled with green fern leaves and natural ingredients including garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, a lime, and small red onions on a white background.
  • A rustic dark brown wooden mortar and pestle set arranged on a white background, styled with green fern leaves, onions, ginger, lime and red onions.
  • A wooden pestle carved with a realistic male head on the top, photographed on a white background.
  • A rustic, hand-carved wooden pestle with square and circular compartments, shown on a plain white background.
  • Back view of a carved wooden mortar and pestle on a plain white background.
  • A hand-carved wooden pestle with four circular and square indentations and a protruding peg, shown on a plain white background.
  • A carved wooden mortar and pestle with a sculpted human figure head, photographed on a plain white background.
  • A carved wooden mortar with circular and square compartments, and pestle with a sculpted human figure head, photographed on a plain white background.
  • A carved wooden mortar and pestle with a sculpted human figure head, photographed on a plain white background.
  • A carved wooden mortar and pestle with a sculpted human head, photographed on a plain white background.
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$387.50 USD
$387.50 USD
Sale Sold out
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Product Description

About this Vintage Mortar & Pestle

This vintage hand-carved Javanese mortar and pestle is a rare one-of-a-kind piece with a story behind it. Originally belonging to a cook's grandfather who specialized in traditional Javanese cuisine. 

Whether displayed as a cultural artefact or a statement décor piece, it brings an extraordinary depth of history and craftsmanship to any home.

About the blangkon

Blangkon is a traditional Javanese headwear worn by men, made from batik fabric and folded into a distinctive form. It is a symbol of Javanese identity and cultural pride, often associated with wisdom and social standing. Its presence carved into this pestle speaks to the deep respect held for the grandfather whose hands shaped the food traditions of his family.

This Product is Perfect for

  • Collectors of antique kitchenware and Southeast Asian folk art
  • Lovers of Javanese culture, traditional craftsmanship, and heritage pieces
  • Interior styling as a rustic kitchen display or table decor
  • Gifting to food historians, home cooks, or anyone who appreciates handmade antiques with provenance
  • Airbnb, hotel or resort looking for genuine old Asian traditional tools for display 



Dimensions

  • Mortar – 16" × 7.8" × 2.36" (41 × 20 × 6 cm)
  • Pestle – 8.27" × 2.36" × 2.36" (21 × 6 × 6 cm)
  • Weight – 2,050 gram (4.5 lbs)

Features

  • Hand-carved pestle portrait: the pestle is carved in the likeness of the grandfather's facial features, wearing a blangkon (traditional Javanese headwear), making this a truly irreplaceable work of folk art
  • Six-section mortar design: six small compartments allow spices and vegetables to be sorted and prepared separately before being combined in the central grinding section, reflecting a functional design rooted in Javanese cooking tradition
  • Tropical hardwood construction: crafted from dense, durable tropical hardwood that has withstood a century of use
  • Circa 1930s provenance: almost 100 years old, this piece carries genuine patina of a working kitchen tool from colonial-era Java

Material

Wood

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