History of Serving Bowls 

From morning cereal to mid-night snacks, most of our meals start and end with these serveware accessories, but have you wondered how and when serving bowls were originally invented. In this blog, we will discuss the history these kitchenware and tableware accessories. These utensils have been used by mankind for thousands of years. In ancient times bowls served the purposes of both eating and drinking utensil. The earliest existence of bowls has been found in Ancient Greece, China, Crete, and some Native American cultures.

Today, bowls are available in ceramic, wood, metal, plastic, and a variety of other materials. Plus, you can buy bowls in any shape and size. This has led to some modifications in the table and serving etiquettes as well. Different-sized bowls are used for serving specific food items. Have you noticed how your dessert bowl is always the smallest? Big bowls are often used as serving utensils and hold more than a single serving portion. Based on the size and the recipe these home decor accessories can also be used for preparing a dish, or meal like salads or cereal. 

In history, there have been overlaps between cups, bowls, and plates. In many cultures, like China and Korea ceramic bowls are the most common vessel used for serving as well as eating the food. Tea and alcoholic drinks were also served in small bowls historically.

What is a Bowl? 

With the diversity in designs in the market, it can be quite confusing to define what can or cannot be considered as a serving bowl. It is a small or medium-sized container or utensil, designed with a deeper depth for the preparation and serving of foods and drinks. Bowls usually feature a round shape and consist of a spherical hollow interior. The construction of a bowl makes it ideal for holding dry, loose as well as liquid foods. 

History of Bowls

Societies have been utilizing bowls for more than millennia. The oldest bowl discovered is estimated to be 18,000 years old. Throughout history, in several cultures remnants of silver hollowware have been discovered in civilizations and tombs worldwide. Unearthed artifacts indicate that silver has been used as a popular material for crafting bowls for centuries. Bowls in this material were commonly found in ancient societies of Greeks, Egyptians, Etruscans, and Romans.

Pottery was another dominant technique that was widely used for crafting earthen-based and ceramic bowls. This technique was particularly popular in ancient Greece and still is in China. The oldest elaborately decorated Chinese bowls date back to the Neolithic period! The Greeks also utilized and designed a wide variety of bowls. These included kylices (bowl-shaped cups), and small items like pateras and phiales. As time progressed craftsmanship skills and techniques improved, which is evident in the evolution of the material that was used for making these kitchenware essentials. More durable materials like silver and metal were introduced with time and became a symbol of luxury.

Different styles and types of bowls were used throughout time and hence evolved based on the needs, preferences, and trends of the time in various cultures and civilizations. In the Contemporary world, we commonly use these kitchen utensils for more than eating and serving food. We use them for home decoration and several creative DIY projects as well.

Buy Wooden Bowls Online from Casa Decor 

We have a beautiful range of sustainable bowls, handmade by local artists using the exotic wood found in India. From simple designs to carved structures, you can buy bowls online for daily use as well as decoration on our home decor online store.   

Our Recommendations: 

1. Distressed White Fleur D’or Bowl
2. French Silvano Serving Bowl
3. Vintage Treen Wooden Bowl
4. Greek Corinthian Style Bowl
5. Gold Fleur D’or Metal Bowl

Visit www.casadecor.co.in to buy wooden serving bowls as well as other home decor items online!