Hi all, Thank you for taking the time to look at my post. I have an item that I'm really not sure about and would love to know your opinions of please. I have had this bowl lurking in my store for some period of time simply because I don't know how to describe it! It's a heavy wood. It has inset stylized handle recesses. The interior, I suspect having lost it's finish by being used as a plant pot. Where the original brown stain has been lost the grain is visible. To be it appears that it could be elm? I'm sure it has age, what do you think? Dimensions: Height 15cm - Diameter: 39.5cm I'd be delighted to hear what others think with regards to it's age, it's original use and perhaps it's origin. Thank you in advance. Daryl
Maybe a salad bowl of some kind of tropical hardwood (Teak?). Would think from the 70s or so. I would refinish to show off the wood. Not very attractive in its current state.
I don't think the inside was ever stained in the first place. It looks like it's missing some sort of insert. That would explain the handles. I'd bet on a glass one that broke, or maybe aluminum that went walkabout.
For me it looks that it is stand / holder for something heavy and ....hot. For example like clay or cast iron pots for cooking in the wood fire oven... or regular oven. Here is the reason wood is so thick and handles deep: for more secured holding. And there is no finish inside of bowl - it was destroyed because of heat. But it is only my thoughts. P.S. Actually I just checked pictures again and there is kind of black line between brown top part and light bottom: it looks like leftover of burned stain, which hasn't fallen off yet.