Ottoman?

motan · 21st July 2019, 10:24 PM

Hi Battara,
I think you are right. Even when polished, the silver is too dark to be high grade. However, I could not care less because I bought it for the its aesthetic appeal and for next to nothing. I am not going to sell it either.

Alex,
After I have read your response, I went looking again for information. It is amazing how hammam bowls and Songkran festival bowls look alike. I still think mine is an Ottoman hammam bowl though. The decorations could well be Sri-Lankan or Thai, but what makes me think it's a hammam bowl are the dimensions and proportions, which I failed to mention in my first post.
Both types of bowls come in different sizes and proportions, but mine is very large (27 cm diameter) and shallow (9 cm high), whereas Songkran bowls tend to be smaller, usually 11-17 cm and deeper in proportion.

ALEX · 22nd July 2019, 10:03 AM

Hi Motan,
The floral pattern as well as overall shape is not of Ottoman hammam bowl.
It is Asian, I believe Malaysian. Here is Malay bowl of similar size (25 x 7 cm). This one has a Keris/Kris part of central decoration, so easy to identify.

motan · 22nd July 2019, 12:44 PM

Thanks again Alex,
I am now convinced. This example is remarkably similar to mine. Just to show you what has mislead me, I attached an example of an Ottoman hammam bowl, or at least it was presented as one.

ALEX · 22nd July 2019, 01:51 PM

Yes, the last image is Ottoman hammam bowl indeed. It combines Ottoman and Asian influences evidenced in mihrab and lotus flower designs. The former bowl has similar looking elements, so its easy to attribute it to Ottoman.

22nd July 2019, 10:03 AM	#2
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Hi Motan, The floral pattern as well as overall shape is not of Ottoman hammam bowl. It is Asian, I believe Malaysian. Here is Malay bowl of similar size (25 x 7 cm). This one has a Keris/Kris part of central decoration, so easy to identify. Attached Images

22nd July 2019, 12:44 PM	#3
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Thanks again Alex, I am now convinced. This example is remarkably similar to mine. Just to show you what has mislead me, I attached an example of an Ottoman hammam bowl, or at least it was presented as one. Attached Images

21st July 2019, 10:24 PM	#1
motan Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Jerusalem Posts: 274	Hi Battara, I think you are right. Even when polished, the silver is too dark to be high grade. However, I could not care less because I bought it for the its aesthetic appeal and for next to nothing. I am not going to sell it either. Alex, After I have read your response, I went looking again for information. It is amazing how hammam bowls and Songkran festival bowls look alike. I still think mine is an Ottoman hammam bowl though. The decorations could well be Sri-Lankan or Thai, but what makes me think it's a hammam bowl are the dimensions and proportions, which I failed to mention in my first post. Both types of bowls come in different sizes and proportions, but mine is very large (27 cm diameter) and shallow (9 cm high), whereas Songkran bowls tend to be smaller, usually 11-17 cm and deeper in proportion.

22nd July 2019, 01:51 PM	#4
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Yes, the last image is Ottoman hammam bowl indeed. It combines Ottoman and Asian influences evidenced in mihrab and lotus flower designs. The former bowl has similar looking elements, so its easy to attribute it to Ottoman.