Lignum Vitae Wassail Bowl (Big One)

A wonderful large Lignum vitae wassail bowl circa 1690 with wonderful aging. Wassail bowls were first mentioned in the 13th century as a vessel in which revelers dropped cakes and bread into--the practice of floating chips of toasted bread was  the origins of the word "toast" as a salutation to other drinkers. Ht. 10", Dia. 10"

Lignum vitae is a particularly dense and heavy wood with a natural oil that makes it excellent for turning on a lathe. As Lignum was often used as ballast for ships, it clearly found a use once it arrived in the ship's final destination. This particular bowl has survived an arduous life as there are multiple cracks and a missing chunk on the base, but that only makes it more of an interesting art object than a mere wassail bowl.