Not currently on display at the V&A

Shaving Bowl

late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A shaving bowl was a large, wide rimmed circular or oval bowl with a large shallow well, characterised by an crescent shaped indentation in the rim to allow the bowl to be fitted snugly under the chin of the person being shaved. They were made both in silver and Sheffield plate, like this example.

Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Sheffield plate
Brief description
Shaving bowl, Sheffield plate, late 18th century, French
Physical description
Oval, the rim with reeded border and crescent-shaped indentation. Marks: IOE and FF.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.35cm
  • Length: 29.85cm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Lt. Col. G. B. Croft-Lyons Bequest
Production
Reason For Production: Private
Summary
A shaving bowl was a large, wide rimmed circular or oval bowl with a large shallow well, characterised by an crescent shaped indentation in the rim to allow the bowl to be fitted snugly under the chin of the person being shaved. They were made both in silver and Sheffield plate, like this example.

Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.
Collection
Accession number
M.567-1926

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Record createdSeptember 25, 2002
Record URL
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