Mortars and pestles: ancient tools in modern society
0 
Mortars and pestles: near-universal tools used to shear, crush and crack ingredients, such as herbs, nuts and spices, into powders and pastes. They decorate kitchens and herb stores with pounding sounds that beat to the primitive rhythm of life.
Today, the ancient tools are almost quaint objects, replaced by automatic mixers. But a collector in Beijing tells a different story about the mortar and pestle.
Jiang Yiping, a retired linguistic researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has collected 400 to 500 mortars and pestles, which sit on two huge shelves in his study, as well as at a museum in the capital's Miyun County. As the old saying goes, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Jiang began his collection by coincidence in 1999, when he bought his first mortar and pestle, an African craft he found in a store.
"At that time, I didn't expect to become a collector of mortars and pestles," Jiang said. "I only bought the pair for fun."
|
|
|
|
Jiang Yiping (left) discovers a pair of mortar and pestle in a pharmaceutical store in Paris. |
After a thorough research, Jiang found the tools, which were made of ebony, had a rich cultural background. A sleepless night in front of the computer turned up pictures, documents, legends and poems concerning mortars and pestles.
"When the dawn broke, I was too excited to feel drowsy," Jiang said. "From then on, I started my collection of mortars and pestles, and I believe the decision was made by fate."
Jiang said mortars and pestles represent the development of human beings. One of the earliest pestles was found during the excavation of a Hemudu site. Hemudu is an early civilization that lived 6,000 years to 7,000 years ago along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
In 1976, a 1,000-year-old stone carving was excavated from Shandong Province, on which a still life of a mortar and pestle was found at the hand of the Jade Rabbit, the legendary pet of the Chinese fairy maiden Chang'e, who lives on the moon.
The culture of the mortar and pestle is not confined to ancient times; they can also be discovered in celebrities' homes. Jiang said he noticed them when visiting the former residences of Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, the late vice chairman, and Soong Ching-ling, the wife of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
Mortars and pestles are used around the world. In many countries, they are symbols of pharmacies. In others, they are used to pound grapes to make wine.
"I hope my collection will spread knowledge about the mortar and pestle, the ancient tools that contain rich cultural elements," Jiang said.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments