Silver, Victorian Furniture, Murano Glass & Beswick Pottery Auction | Studio Ceramics & Antiques
Lot 405: An Assortment of Wooden Bowls including Ethnographic Carved Basins and Turned Utility Bowls
This collection comprises several wooden vessels of varied origins and construction techniques. The primary items are large, hand-carved ethnographic basins, likely originating from the African continent and constructed from single blocks of dense hardwood. The exterior of these vessels is decorated with horizontal bands of incised geometric patterns, including cross-hatching and repeated triangular motifs. Remnants of a light-coloured mineral pigment or kaolin clay are visible within the carved recesses, providing contrast against the natural grain. The interiors of these bowls exhibit a saturated reddish-brown tone. The group also contains lathe-turned wooden bowls of graduated sizes, featuring simple, undecorated circular profiles and a smooth, polished finish. One of the larger carved bowls retains a small white rectangular adhesive label on its interior rim with handwritten characters that are not clearly legible. These items are located in the United Kingdom and are likely examples of mid-20th-century ethnographic acquisitions.
Condition report:
The items are in good overall condition, showing signs of handled use and age consistent with mid-20th-century utilitarian woodenware. The large carved bowls display a dry surface patina with minor surface abrasions to the rims and bases, along with some expected natural drying to the timber. The turned bowls show typical signs of domestic use, including fine surface scratches and localized wear to the polished finish. No significant structural cracks or restorations are visible.
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