Tin bowl for women who have just given birth
The bowl has two handles and a lid with three feet. It can be used as a flat dish or plate to eat from or as a saucer for the bowl.
The bowl has a rounded form and twelve ridges all around the outside. It consists of two sections, the lower of which is more constricted with the upper section being more bellied. Two s-shaped handles, one on either side, are attached to the outside of the bowl. The lid is also curved and has three feet attached externally. It also has a small circular boss in the centre and twelve ridges on the outside.
Various marks or stamps can be found on the base, both inside and out. The outside base has unidentified initials “IBB” above the master’s mark “IDK” of tinsmith Jakob David Keiser with the mark of Zug and the Keiser coat of arms. The inside base has an angel’s mark with the inscription “FIN BLO” [rest illegible. This probably stands for BLOCKZINN (block tin), which is tin without the addition of old tin or lead].
Such bowls, filled with nutritious and energy-restoring soups, were given to women who had just given birth, and they were often allowed to keep the bowls afterwards. The postpartum period usually lasts for six to eight weeks and covers the phase just after giving birth and until the woman’s body has returned to its pre-pregnancy state.
