Bowl Item Number: Ed1.173 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Very shallow bowl of brass, with flat base and straight, slightly flared sides. Outer surface shiny; inner surface has dull patina.

History Of Use

Used to hold fruit offerings for ancestor worship. Brass eating and serving utensils are commonly used by wealthier people in Korea. Bowls of this type are used in making offerings to ancestors, in which dishes with various foods are set out on a table in front of the cabinet containing the ancestral tablet. Such a ceremony is held at new year's, at the 1st and 2nd anniversaries of a death, and on the 15th day of the 1st and 8th months. Ancestor worship derives from the influence of Confucianism, which was introduced to Korea before the 3rd century.

Cultural Context

used to hold offerings