Posted 8 years ago
clpitts
(49 items)
I am trying to figure out what this was used for, origin and age. The pestle and the top opening have spiral groves. Then there is a large opening on one side and a small opening on the bottom. Any information would be appreciated.
This appears to be a grinding mill for grain or something. It sits with the non-grooved opening on top (where you feed in the stuff to be ground). A shaft with a crank would be inserted through the small hole and a flattened end would extend out through the rectangular hole in what you call the pestle (inserted in its matching hole) and be held there with a cross-pin. The ground-up material falls out around the rotating pestle. The coarseness of the grind is regulated by how tightly the pestle is held in the hole. It is really cool!
Thank you for the information. Do you have any idea of the age or origin of this piece? Where does the finished product come out?
You've probably never used a manual meat grinder but the principle is the same:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meat-Grinder-Sausage-Stuffer-Heavy-Duty-Manual-Mix-Butche-Restaurant-Cook-Burger-/261950413236
The ground up material (grain in your case) just falls out around the opening where the pestle fits in. As to age, I have no idea but it could be from one to several hundred years old. Maybe a specialist could identify the age and origin from the design.