During Shakespeare's time, mortars and pestles were standard domestic items  They were used for making powders, oils, and ointments for aches and pains, making ink as well as culinary recipes and even beauty treatments.  Mortars were also associated with alchemy, the quest to turn base metals into gold.  

This example is stamped with the date in Roman numerals, MDLXXXI (1581), together with the artisan’s name ‘PETRUS VANDEN GHEIN ME FECIT’; ‘Peter van der Ghein made me’.  The van der Ghein’s were well known casters from Malines who specialized in church bell-casting. 

The mortar and pestle were my favourites because it was interesting how they ground up things like herbs.

The mortar and pestle were my favourites because although these were created hundreds of years ago we still use mortars and pestles today.

The pestle and mortar are from about 1500 and are used to crush. Oak galls are formed around a gall wasp larvae ( like caterpillars). If you crush galls in a mortar and mix them with water or wine, you can make ink.