Indian Chalice Form Holy Water Vessel

Shallow dark dish with beaded edges, perched on a trumpet stem.

This chalice-form holy water vessel is from Karnataka, South India, and dates to the 19th century. It is brass. Water holds a central place in many Hindu rites, and vessels of brass or copper are generally used to hold and pour it. Wide, shallow bowl with a rolled rim edged in small beaded lines, supported by a slender stem and a wide, flat foot also trimmed with beads. The surface is dark and softly worn. It is 3.3 inches high and 4.8 in diameter.

A tiny bit of jewelry for a bowl.