The Culture of the Mortar in China

Abstract

In China and Japan, mortars were used to play an important role as kitchen utensils. In medieval Japan, there are two types of bowls imported from China, and both were used as kitchen utensils. In Japan, Chinese mortars had been used from the 12th century to the 14th century. Type I has no scratched comb lines on its inside surface. Type Ⅱ has scratched comb lines on its inside surface. Mortars used in China for kitchen utensils has scratched comb lines on its inside surface. This type influenced to mortars in Japan. This form suggests use as a grinding and mixing bowl, and many examples show significant wear on the inner surface. At the Neolithic age in China, we can find vessels that has scratched comb lines on its inside surface. The origin of vessel traces back to 3230±140 年BC. However, the function is not certain, and there is not to the following age. There is no evidence that this vessel is used as mortar. After the age of Tang Dynasty, there are vessels with the function as mortars. Since the age of Sung, there are some production sites of mortar, but are not many sites of mortar besides production sites. The use of a vessel called a mortar is recorded in the ancient recipe books. In the Chinese recipe books, vessels that is called “Suribon( 擂盆)”might be used instead of “Suribachi( 擂鉢)”. On the one hand, as the evidence for considering the use of mortars, there are the motions of grinding foods with a pestle, namely the cookery terms as such “Suru( 擂る)” in Chinese cookery books