A bowl is an uncovered, hollow, concave and hemispherical container or vessel. This type of vessel has been in use since ancient times. It is commonly used among all cultures across the world for serving, storing and eating purposes.
Primitive man used bowls made from leaves or clay. The Greeks used small bowls called phiales, pateras and kylices. Phiales had a small dent in the centre and were used for storing and pouring wine. The Japanese used chawans for drinking green tea and eating rice. Indians still use katoris or watis for serving curries, gravies and desserts.
Depending upon the purpose, bowls vary in shape, size, design and colour. Two to three sets of bowls are included in a dinner set to serve a variety of food items. The large and deep bowls are used to serve salads, vegetables, pasta and curries. Smaller and shallower bowls are used for serving side dishes, soups, desserts and dips. Soup bowls come in sets of four or six with matching broad soup spoons. Sugar bowls are included in tea sets to hold granular sugar or sugar cubes.
Today, bowls are made of different materials such as metal, plastic, wood, glass, ceramic, stainless steel, silicon rubber, melamine and even paper. Modern bowls are designed to be microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.
Metal bowls are also used for feeding pets. Wooden bowls are often used to serve and store whole fruits and salads. These bowls are often handmade and burnished or glazed with oil for a better finish. Wooden bowls can have a rustic finish and come in a variety of shapes with or without a handle.
Pottery or ceramic bowls are made on a potter’s wheel and later baked in a kiln. These may either be hand painted, enamelled or carved with linear, floral, abstract or geometrical designs. Glass bowls are also used for decorative as well as serving purposes. These bowls can be handmade or machine made. Cut glass, lustered glass, toastmaster’s glass, Venetian glass, Waterford glass, opaline glass, millefiori glass and pattern glass are different types of glass used to make bowls. Such bowls are often used as show pieces and artefacts or to display flowers.
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