Pig Molcajete

The molcajete has a long history in Mesoamerica, ranging back to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. In these cultures, the grinding of corn was very important, and the prominence of that task resulted in careful and creative attention to the production of tools necessary to it. For instance, the molcajete was customarily given style and humor by the sculptural addition of the head of an animal to the side of the bowl. Typically it would be a pig's head! This gave the spice bowl the appearance of a three-legged pig.