The finger bowl appears as part of the table etiquette of many food cultures across Asia, the Middle-east and Europe. This vessel holds water for cleansing the fingers when certain meal courses require the direct handling of food. It tends to be a discreet article on the dining table.
Despite its diminutive size and plain exterior, this small finger bowl is not without charm or surprises. Closer attention offers up unexpected details and nuances. Its relatively high foot-ring elevates the bowl, bestowing its small stature with a certain formality and dignity. Its foot ring is marked with a sakura seal and is unglazed - its matt surface offering an interesting contrast with the glaze used on its body.
Upon drawing closer, one excavates another layer to this modest bowl. Its interior is its high point. It bears exquisite glazes that have yielded a gentle blue coat of colour set against a periphery rim of deep red. This can be seen when viewing the finger bowl from the top.
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