What kinds of bowls turn up most often?

Porcelain leads on the body word, in 284 titles. The two big origin blocks are East Asian, covering Japanese Imari, Arita, Satsuma and Kutani alongside Chinese export and Qing wares, and English factory pieces from Worcester, Wedgwood and Moorcroft. A fifth or so of the category is 18th and early 19th century English tea bowls, saucers, slop bowls and sucriers, with Caughley, New Hall, Lowestoft, Liverpool, Coalport and Plymouth all appearing.

How old are these bowls?

The dated field runs 1700 to 1960, and 553 of 1,142 listings carry a clean year. Beyond that, 205 listings give only '19th Century' and 179 only '18th Century'. Some pieces sit outside the field entirely, filed as 'Before 1700', '16th Century' or '17th Century'. Song Longquan celadon, Ming Swatow and Wanli kraak, and Persian buffware and lustre bowls given as 10th to 13th century all appear that way.

Are country pottery bowls part of this category?

Yes, as a modest but persistent minority. Dairy bowls, pancheons, spongeware, slipware, Spanish lebrillos, French tian and Wemyss dog bowls all sit under the same heading. They account for the biggest measured pieces in the whole category. A French terracotta tian and a glazed dairy bowl both come in at 53 to 54cm across.

Which named designers appear as sub-groups?

Two blocks are large enough to read as categories in their own right. Daisy Makeig-Jones lustre bowls for Wedgwood appear in 48 titles, and Moorcroft in 49, the latter including Liberty's-retailed and Macintyre-era pieces. Royal Worcester runs alongside them in 55 titles, often with an individual fruit or flower painter credited.

Do any bowls come with shipwreck provenance?

Shipwreck cargo is a recurring provenance rather than a one-off. Nanking Cargo bowls and tea bowls appear repeatedly around 1750 to 1751. A Teksing Shipwreck pair is dated around 1822. Old collection labels are used the same way in titles, as a documented history attached to the piece.

What are the more unusual forms in this category?

Barber's and shaving bowls recur, in Dutch delft, Chinese Imari and Japanese Imari, one of them described as a bleeding dish. Scholar's brush washers, cress strainers, junket dishes and porringers also turn up. Single appearances include a Nupe tribe terracotta bowl from Nigeria, Kashmir painted bowls and Ewenny clay pit pottery from Wales.

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Antique Bowls

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A bowl, in ceramic terms, covers anything from a three-inch 18th-century tea bowl to a metre-scale dairy pancheon, made for eating, mixing, washing and serving.