Kanjeevaram Brass Etched Small Serving Bowl

Made from 100% pure brass in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Pital Nagari, the Brass City, and etched by hand with geometric border motifs drawn from the Kanjeevaram silk-weaving tradition of Tamil Nadu. The etching is done with a fine stylus, each line pressed into the brass surface without the use of acid or mechanical tooling. The bowl is small enough to hold in one palm.

The Kanjeevaram silk border, that repeating geometric edge of a saree's pallu, is one of Indian craft's most enduring visual languages. Here it has been translated from loom to brass: the same geometry, the same measured repetition, engraved by hand into a small serving bowl made in Moradabad's metal quarter. The bowl's form is simple and unassuming. The etching is not.

It sits easily on a pooja thali for prasadam. It holds three cashews or a small mound of kumkum at the edge of a puja space. It functions equally well as the condiment bowl at dinner that everyone reaches across for the chutney. Brass has been used for ritual and daily use in Indian homes without distinction, this bowl does not make that distinction either.

Pure Brass · Moradabad · Kanjeevaram Etching · Hand-Engraved

Care Instructions

• Brass will develop a natural patina with use, this is not a defect, it is the object becoming yours.
• Hand wash only with mild soap and lukewarm water. Never put in dishwasher.
• Wipe dry immediately after washing. Do not leave wet.
• Avoid abrasive cleaners and steel wool, use a soft cloth only.
• Polish periodically with a brass-cleaning powder or lemon and salt to restore lustre.