Beautiful white classical metal bowl, decorative bowl
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- Size: 39 cm x 28 cm x 23 cm (width x depth x height)
- Weight: 1.15 kg
- Material: metal with a rustic patinated finish
- Colour: matte white with a lightly patinated antique finish
- Country of manufacture: China
This beautiful classical handled metal bowl is based on ancient vessel forms and recalls the krater, a large open mixing bowl. In Ancient Greece, wine was diluted with water before serving, and this took place in kraters as part of the symposion, a shared ritual of drinking and social gathering. In Roman culture, similar forms remained in use, but also took on a distinctly decorative role as part of the furnishings of a space.
Symbolic Meaning
The symbolism of an open vessel draws on two different traditions. In Ancient Greece, a wide bowl such as the krater served as a communal mixing vessel in which wine was diluted with water before being served at the symposion. The vessel was placed at the centre of the gathering, and the drink was distributed from it to the participants. Its significance therefore arose from its function: it brought people together and served as a centre of sharing.
In later Western esoteric tradition, the bowl and the cup became associated with the receptive principle, often described as a feminine quality. This refers to a symbolic capacity: the ability to receive, hold and carry what is placed within. This interpretation appears, among other places, in the imagery of alchemy and in Grail traditions.
Use
This object functions as a vessel whose meaning is shaped by what is placed within it. It is well suited to practices in which things are gathered together: stones, objects or other materials connected by a shared theme may be placed inside, allowing the bowl to contain and hold the whole. It may also be used in a space as a place where something is left, as a concrete gesture in which an object is transferred into a separate setting.
In keeping with its ancient use, the vessel can also serve as a centre of sharing in situations where something is brought into common use, whether objects, symbols or actions. Naturally, the bowl is also well suited to decorative use as a striking visual element.
It may be paired with the darker patinated bowl to form a symbolic complementary pair.
