Indian Tazza Form Holy Water Vessel

Smoothly flared and scuffed from years of use, with a trumpet-shaped foot.

This tazza-form holy water vessel is from Karnataka, South India, and dates to the 19th century. It is brass. Karnataka has a long history of metalwork, and cast and hammered brass vessels there were once part of everyday domestic life. Open bowl in grey-yellow with a thin, curved rim and faint grooves around the body. A short, hollow-looking stem flares out into a wide, plain foot. The surface shows a gentle, rubbed patina. It is 2.3 inches high and 4 in diameter.

A humble bowl, well worn and well kept.