Among the works of ancient Russian silverware, the museum is proud to present various vessels for drinking and ceremonial feasts.
Deep vessels without a handle (chashas in Russian) were popular in Rus from the 11th to the 18th centuries.
A bowl is an ancient vessel for sharing among people or proclaiming “health toasts”. Drinking a “health” cup meant to make a toast to someone’s health or in someone’s honor. A ladle was used to drink from the health bowl. In addition, there were special bowls designed for sharing among a group of people. They were called bratinas (derived from the Russian word “brat” — brother) and charkas.
These ancient bowls were distinctly Russian and differed from similar items used in other countries. Precious utensils can be considered a kind of chronicle of events, as they were passed from one family to another, sometimes ending up in the royal treasury.
The presented artifact is a travel bowl that was used on trips. That is why it has a ring threaded through the mascaron (a decorative element in the shape of a human or animal’s face), by which it is attached to the belt or to another part of the clothing.
The catalog of the Museum of History and Ethnography “Russian Heritage”, which was compiled by Ivan Fyodorovich Barshchevsky and published in 1909, includes the following entry for this exhibit,
