pestle

...By the time of the Ancient Egyptians, the differentiation of the stone saddle quern as a millstone and the wooden mortar (pestle and mortar) had been completed, so it is thought that by that time it had become widespread throughout the ancient world.
[Mill]
A mortar is a container with a depression, i.e., a mortar in the strict sense, and a pestle, which is tapered in the middle to make it easier to grip. In addition to pounding, it was used for kneading things, such as for pounding rice cakes, and for partial grinding (selective grinding) to remove the seed coats on the surface of grains, such as for grain polishing. Wooden mortars appeared in Japan during the Yayoi period, and gradually decorative elements were added to the exterior shapes of both pestles and mortars, and mortars in particular with a tapered center and beautifully carved bodies were used.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "pestle" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…古代エジプト時代において，挽き臼としての石製サドルカーンsaddle quernと，木製の搗き臼(杵と臼)の分化が完成しているので，それまでに，古代世界に広く普及していたものと考えられる。
［搗き臼］
　搗き臼はくぼみを有する容器すなわち狭義の臼mortarと，中央がくびれて握りやすくした竪杵pestleとから成り，搗き砕く目的のほか，餅搗きのようにものをこねる目的や，穀物の精白のように穀粒表面の種皮を除去する部分的な粉砕(選択粉砕)にも用いられた。日本では弥生時代から木製の搗き臼が現れたが，しだいに杵も臼も，その外形に装飾的要素が加わり，とくに臼は胴の中央部がくびれ，美しく削ったものがつかわれた。…

※「pestle」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報