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Item no 392 An old eight-sided sandstone mortar with a round cavity for planting, now with a drainage hole in the base. It was probably originally used for preparing food but mortars of this shape are also sometimes called plague stones. The story goes that they were put outside a hamlet or farm during an outbreak of plague and filled with vinegar. Money was left in the vinegar for goods that would normally be delivered to the door such as bread and other food, thereby avoiding the need for direct human contact. 18th Century or earlier 15" x 14" x 12" high SOLD

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