Indian Brass Ladle

A bright, flat-bladed spoon with a wide bowl, one edge notched like a bite.

This brass ladle is from India, and dates to the mid 19th or early 20th century. In India, brass cookware and serving utensils were long common in households and temples, and they were often given as part of wedding gifts. A shallow oval bowl with a chipped, scalloped edge joins a long handle with a flat, shaped grip near the end and a small knob at the tip. The surface is a pale yellow-gold, smooth and lightly scratched. It is 18 inches wide, 3.25 deep and 1.75 high.

Formal in outline, a little nibbled in practice.