Indian Stone Soap Dish

Shallow basin with pinched corners and a smooth, worn interior.

This stone soap dish is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the mid 20th century. Stone is a practical material for a soap dish because it does not warp or rot in damp conditions, and a shallow hollow keeps the soap from sliding. Oblong trough with flared lobes at each end, a flat shelf around the rim and a slightly chamfered foot. The gray-brown surface is pitted and rough outside, and smoother and darker inside the bowl. It is 15 inches wide, 7.4 deep and 5 high.

Holding nothing, holding steady, and entirely at ease.