Naqshi Sheesham Wooden Bowls — Set of 3

About this piece

Naqshi Sheesham Wooden Bowls — Set of 3: three nesting sheesham bowls, 8, 10 and 12 inch, with a gold naqshi band. Made by hand from sheesham (rosewood) and coloured lac and finished in naqshi lac, the pattern scratched back through the colour, in the Sillanwali Handicrafts workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. It measures 8, 10 and 12 inch across (set of three). It costs PKR 5,200 for the whole set. It is ready to ship and delivered within 3 to 4 days anywhere in Pakistan, paid in cash on delivery.

A set of three nesting bowls turned from solid sheesham — 8, 10 and 12 inches across — each finished with a band of naqshi lacquer below the rim: a black ground scratched back by hand into a fine gold diamond lattice. Below the band the bowl is left as polished wood, so the sheesham grain shows through on every one. Each bowl is turned from a single block of sheesham on the khraad. The lac band is laid on while the bowl spins, colour over colour, and the lattice is then cut back through the layers with the sathrī, the iron tool that opens the line. Every line in the pattern is drawn by eye, which is why the lattice lines up a little differently on each bowl, and why no two sets are exactly alike. They are made for food, to eat and serve from. Use the 12 inch for salad, fruit or rice at the table, the 10 inch for a side dish or dry fruit, and the 8 inch for chutney, raita or sweets. They nest inside one another, so the set stores in the space of the largest bowl. A practical wedding, housewarming or Eid gift, and a set a household uses every day. Made in Sillanwali, Sargodha, and worked individually. Wash by hand in warm water with a mild soap and dry straight away; do not soak them, and never put them in the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven. Rub a little food-safe oil into the plain wood now and then to keep it from drying out, and keep the lacquer band away from scouring pads.

Every piece is made by hand, so the wood grain, carving and colour vary a little from the photo. That variation is normal and is what makes each one its own.