Marble Mortar of Macael and Almirez in Spain
Country of the crafting: Spain
Region of the crafting: Andalucía
Town of the crafting: Almería
Type of the crafting: Marble, stone and plaster
1. Location and history
The location is in Almería, Andalucía, Spain
Macael marble is a marble from one of the quarries in the Spanish town of Macael (Almería), in the Sierra de los Filabres. Although there are also yellow and gray varieties (Macael yellow and Macael gray), the Macael white marble variety has the greatest reputation, which is characterized by the purity of its white color, being called “white gold” It has been exploited since the Ancient Age. the Almanzora Valley, depression flanked for social development in the region in 2700 B.C.
2. Process and techniques
Macael marble mortar is a handmade piece that works as a kitchen utensil, to grind, chop, crush, prepare sauces, etc. Mortar artisans often sculpt each piece by hand, with pointer and chisel. technique : extraction of white Macael marble from opencast quarries, selection of the most appropriate type, cutting the pieces into blocks of different sizes appropriate to the size of the mortar. the parts are passed through the vertical milling machine to be emptied, as well as the internal grinding to leave inside and outside a suitable finish for the use to which the mortar will be used. the Mochetas (notches) are made and finished with a sanding process of the piece.
3. Used materials
Made of 100% white Macael marble, it has a medium grain size and mineralogical composition of 83% calcite, 16% dolomite, 1% Muscovite and small amounts of clay and opaque. the famous marble of Macael is extracted from the quarries of the Almeria city of Macael since the Ancient Age. This marble is highly appreciated and recognized for its purity and beauty.
