Thisextremely rare and complete Celtic bronze woad grinder set, dating to approximately 200 BC–200 AD, is a remarkable survival from Iron Age Britain. The mortar is richly decorated with a bull’s head terminal, a powerful Celtic symbol of strength, vitality, and martial prowess, featuring knobbed horns and a button-shaped terminal at the opposite end. The crescent-shaped pestle is of plain form, designed for effective grinding. The set consists of both the mortar and pestle, making it a highly desirable and seldom-seen pairing.
Woad grinders were used to process the woad plant, producing the distinctive blue pigment historically associated with Celtic warriors, who are believed to have painted their faces and bodies prior to battle. Both components retain their suspension loops, suggesting the set may have been worn on a leather thong, possibly as a personal or ritual object. There is minor loss to the bull’s horns, consistent with age and excavation, but the overall presentation remains strong and historically evocative.
This rare and complete woad grinder set was acquired from an old UK private collection and represents an exceptional survival of Celtic ritual and martial culture. With its strong symbolic bull-head decoration and intact suspension loops, this piece stands as a museum-quality example of Iron Age personal equipment associated with identity, warfare, and ritual practice.
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