Title
Pair of Chased & Gadrooned Silver Bowls (Batil)
Year/Period
circa 1900
Region
Brunei
Material
Dimension
Object size: Refer to parts
Accession No.
2017-00619
Collection of
This pair of Islamic-influenced batil (bowls) from the Malays of Brunei are of solid hammered silver that has been chased and engraved with decoration. Such bowls were used to hold rice or water, or used as finger bowls. At other times they might have been used in ceremonies to pour water.Each bowl is engraved with a foilage and petal border, and has been gadrooned down its body. The bases are flattened and have another foilage and petal band around a central depression. Each has two cartouches engraved with Jawi, which is Malay written in Arabic script. There is a depression on the base of each bowl. It allows for one finger to hold the bowl steady as it scoops rice or water.
