Nepalese Rice Measuring Vessel

Hammered brass, scuffed to a coppery glow, with two small stamps on the shoulder.

This rice measuring vessel is from Nepal and dates to the 19th century. It is brass. Standard measures were an everyday necessity in Himalayan markets and households, and they were often marked with stamps to show their size or origin. This one has a rounded lower body and a straight, flared neck, with a thin raised band at the join. A small round stamp with script sits on the neck, and a smaller one on the body. The metal is dark and uneven, with hammer marks showing. It is 8 inches wide, deep and high.

A cup that takes its measuring seriously.