Indian Marble Chapati Plate

A pale round disk with a curly little knob tucked at one corner.

This marble chapati plate is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the 20th century. Rajasthan has a long tradition of quarrying and carving marble, and its stoneworkers produce everything from architectural elements to kitchen implements and small domestic objects. A flat, circular slab in warm grey-cream with a slightly rough surface and a few small pits. A small carved scroll-like projection curls out at the lower left edge. The outer edge is softly uneven. It is 11.25 inches wide, 14.75 deep and 2.5 high.

Flat and humble, with one spiral of ambition.