Tea Bowl thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Tea Bowl

Tea Bowl
mid 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This tea bowl is made of burlwood, found in the excrescences growing on the sides of trees. This type of wood was used to make tea bowls in Tibet, Ladakh and Bhutan because it was strong and resisted splitting when full of hot liquid. This example evidently belonged to a fairly wealthy owner, who could afford to have the inside lined with silver and decorated with an embossed central motif. Tea bowls also doubled as food bowls and the staple diet of Tibet, roasted barley flour or tsampa, was mixed with tea and rolled by hand into small balls inside such bowls.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleTea Bowl
Materials and techniques
Lathe-turned burl wood and beaten silver
Brief description
Domestic, wood silver, Ladakh
Physical description
A bowl made from lathe-turned willow or poplar with an inside lining and footrim of sheet silver and a gilded silver boss at its centre.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 14cm
  • Height: 5.5cm
Summary
This tea bowl is made of burlwood, found in the excrescences growing on the sides of trees. This type of wood was used to make tea bowls in Tibet, Ladakh and Bhutan because it was strong and resisted splitting when full of hot liquid. This example evidently belonged to a fairly wealthy owner, who could afford to have the inside lined with silver and decorated with an embossed central motif. Tea bowls also doubled as food bowls and the staple diet of Tibet, roasted barley flour or tsampa, was mixed with tea and rolled by hand into small balls inside such bowls.
Collection
Accession number
IS.1432-1883

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Record createdFebruary 25, 2004
Record URL
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