A collection of seven cooking and serving bowls, India, 1870-1890 (c)

These brass bowls can be fitted together and secured with a strap for ease of carrying. They are all impressed with broad arrow marks to signify military use and are of a type which was used by jawans (soldiers) of the Indian Army. For high caste brahmins their cooking pots were of considerable importance, since it was necessary for them to prepare their own food in order to preserve caste.