Bowls

“ The steam of the bowls, containing a decoction of fowls, red pepper, onions, and grease, together with the more offensive effluvia from fifty rancid heads and as many unwashed persons, were endured with the most stoical indifference; and the feeble light of a few tapers that glimmered faintly through the smoke, was just sufficient to reveal the rows of eager faces in earnest preparation, and the gleam of the sharp teeth whetting for the entertainment. ”

“ These bowls, instead of being the large lignum-vitæ bowls of 6-8 in. in diameter, are but little bigger than a tennis ball, easily held in the hand, and are enamelled with ornamental colours and various designs, looking bright and pretty on the green turf. A white ball is first thrown to one end of the lawn, and the aim of the players, who stand at the other end, is so to send their bowls that they may lie as near as possible to the white ball. ”

“ It has been said that bowls and spoons are the earliest signs of domesticity and civilization. Our ancestors, who lived on the seashore, made use of large shells, which gave them the cue to the fashioning of a shallow dish, which eventually became a bowl. ”

“ If brass bowls are used no celluloid disc is required, and it is not necessary to exchange one bowl for another; the secret of the trick lies in the preparation of one of the bowls, and yet, at the beginning of the trick, both bowls can be held with their interiors facing the audience. ”

“ Bowls is an ancient game played on a smooth oblong green about forty yards long, with one small ball called the 'jack' and twelve large heavy ones called 'bowls.' The jack is thrown out as a mark, and the object of the game is for one side to have one of its bowls nearest the jack at the end of the bout. ”

“ The work displayed in executing these bowls, the careful rounding of the edges, the exact execution of the circle, the fine pointed tool-marks, and the subjects they chose to depict, point to the race having been far advanced in artistic skill—a skill arrived at, doubtless, by commercial intercourse with the more civilised races of mankind. Seven of these bowls were of exactly the same size, and were 19·2 inches in diameter,8 which measurements we ascertained by taking the radii of the several fragments. ”

“ Theoretically, when the conjurer picks up the faked bowl and holds it upside down he convinces the audience that the bowl is empty. How can there be anything in a bowl which is held upside down? Still, I think you will admit that if you can show the interiors of both bowls at the beginning of the performance you make it a much "stronger" trick than if you show only one bowl and let the state of the other be taken for granted. ”

“ In theory the game of bowls is very simple, the aim of the player being to roll his bowl so as to cause it to rest nearer to the jack than his opponent’s, or to protect a well-placed bowl, or to dislodge a better bowl than his own. But in practice there is every opportunity for skill. On all good greens the game is played in rinks of four a side, there being, however, on the part of many English clubs still an adherence to the old-fashioned method of two and three a side rinks. ”

“ There was plenty of passing, as it was market day. We met a good many peasant women carrying milk in those curious old brass bowls one sees everywhere here. Some of them are very handsome, polished until they shine like mirrors, with a delicate pattern lightly traced running around the bowl. They balance them perfectly on their heads and walk along at a good swinging pace. They all look prosperous, their skirts (generally black) , shoes, and stockings in good condition, and their white caps and handkerchiefs as clean as possible. ”

“ And it is here, in the practical knowledge of the effect of the bias, that the difficulty of the game consists, and the skill of the player is exhibited.
Nor is this all. At the present day, all bowls are of a standard size and regulation weight. But formerly it was not so. The bowls were turned by the village carpenter, and little nicety was observed as to the amount of lead inserted. Those on the village green, those on the Squire's lawn, those on the alehouse ground, were not of necessity of the same weight and size. ”

“ Bowls were very numerous and greatly varied in size, finish, and ornamentation. Many have received painted designs both inside and out. This occurs with those having nearly upright rims. Handled-cups of hemispherical shape are also common, but the heart-shaped bowls are of rare occurrence. Bottle-shaped vessels and ollas have not, as in the south, formed a prominent feature. For some of the latter very neat lids have been made, the rims being shaped for their reception. Upright vessels with handles are common. Eccentric or animal forms have not been found. ”

“ The bowls which are the most familiar examples are usually of conical form, with slightly contracted mouth and small foot, coated with thick fluescent glazes, which form in deep pools at the bottom within, and end outside in thick drops or a billowy line some distance above the base, leaving a liberal amount of the body material exposed to view. ”

“ They are often found on the lips of the bowls and in a similar position on jars, dippers, and vases. The parallel lines shown in figure 278 are seven in number, and do not encircle the bowl. They are joined by a broad connecting band near one extremity. The number of parallel bands in this decoration is highly suggestive. ”

“ I can only say that I have seldom spent a more interesting evening.
About nine the stew was ready, and the women ladled it into lacquer bowls with wooden spoons. The men were served first, but all ate together. Afterwards sake, their curse, was poured into lacquer bowls, and across each bowl a finely-carved "sake-stick" was laid. These sticks are very highly prized. ”

“ To such an extreme have the dictates of fancy been followed, in this respect, that utility, the true office of the utensil, has often taken a secondary place, although it is never lost sight of entirely. Bowls have been fashioned into the shapes of birds, fishes, and reptiles, and vases and bottles into a multitude of animal and vegetable forms without apparent regard to convenience. ”

“ Bowls of frumenty, made from wheat cakes or creed wheat, boiled in milk, with sugar and nutmeg, &c., also made part of the feast. Nor was the wassail bowl, or the tankard of spiced ale, omitted, but formed a prominent part of the entertainment; Christmas ale being generally of superlative merit. ”

“ The feast is paid for by subscription; two women are chosen, who with two wooden bowls placed one within the other, so as to leave an opening and a space between them, go round to the female part of the society in succession, and what one puts into the uppermost bowl the attendant collectress slips into the bowl beneath it. All are expected to contribute something, but not more than a shilling, and they are best esteemed who give most. ”

“ Lawn bowls is the only sport he ever goes in for. He's crazy about that and thinks himself a good deal of an athlete. We raise our own poultry, keep a cow, have a nice vegetable garden, and plenty of apples and pears and currants. Sometimes the peach trees bear, but they're a sort of joke. One year Larry and I went in for raising squabs. ”

“ Prayer-meal bowls are of two sorts, bowl-shaped with a terraced elevation on one side of the rim, and rectangular, or box-like, with a terraced elevation at either end. In the construction of a rectangular prayer-meal bowl, no puki is employed. The pat, either circular or rectangular in shape, is made as usual. It is placed upon a board, care being taken to press it down hard, and the rectangular shape is accentuated by the pinching up of the edge. A thin layer of temper may, or may not, be sprinkled on the board before the pat is placed upon it. ”

“ To be bowl'd for on Monday next, at the Red Cow, in St. George's Fields, a pair of Silver Buckles, value fourteen shillings, at five pins, each pin a yard apart. He that brings most pins at three bowls has the buckles, if the money is in; if not, the money each man has put in. Three bowls for sixpence, and a pint of beer out of it, for the good of the house,”
Arriving near the Gate-house— (gentlemen, we are within a few yards of the very spot!) —the viceroy of the gravel-pits went forth to meet them, presenting the horn of plenty as a token of hearty welcome ”

“ The bowls with which the game was played were not precisely the same as those now manufactured. They had the shape of flattened oranges, and were loaded with lead inserted in one side to serve as bias, or tendency wards the end of the course to describe a sweep. When delivered, the ball runs directly to its end, but as soon as it reaches the point where the force that launched it is expended, then it curls, carried by the weight of the lead, and turns in an arc. ”

“ When ground, the mass is passed through “mulls,” wood-lined, bottomless bowls, let into a bench, where the snuff is softened and rendered less powdery by means of pointed pins, resembling domestic rolling-pins, which slowly travel around the sides of the bowls. ”

“ When the time is up the leader says, "Stop," and the number of peanuts in each bowl is counted and accredited to the two players. Each pair takes turn in playing, time and tally being kept for each until all have played.
The list of contestants is read aloud, the partners who succeeded in carrying the greatest number of peanuts to their bowls receive a prize. ”

“ The ancient bowling-green at the Stewponey remains in good condition to the present day, although the once popular and excellent English pastime of bowls has there, as elsewhere, fallen into desuetude.
In old England there was not a village, country house, without its bowling-green. A century ago the game held its own steadily, and it is within the last seventy or eighty years only that it has lost favour and has been supplanted by croquet and lawn tennis. ”

“ A water vessel precisely of the form and ornamentation shown in fig. 700, but with a handle on each side.
481, (47503) . Pitcher without spout.
482, (47502) . Earth used for whitening in the manufacture of pottery.
447 483, (47510) . Plain bowl.
484, (47512) . Plain bowl.
485, (47527) . Well formed bowl with foot or pedestal.
486-489. 486, (47001) ; 487, (47716) ; 488, (47028) ; 489, (47717) . Flaring bowls with undulate margins.
490, (47718) . Bowl similar in form to the preceding one, but much larger.
BLACK OR BROWN WARE. (Blackened by use on the fire; not polished.) ”

“ Pitcher-shaped cup, with handle, ornamentation, oblique dashes.
837, (47296) . Deep, olla-shaped bowl; anvil-shaped figures on the outside.
838, (47297) . Small canteen, loop-handles at the sides, central star ornament.
839-840. 839, (47445) ; 840, (47446) . Bowls adorned with sprigs and flowers internally and stars externally; quite neat.
460 841-844. 841, (47447) ; 842, (47448) ; 843, (47449) ; 844, (47460) . Bowls; most of them with a narrow dotted marginal band externally and internally. 841, (47447) has a central star inside and a band of triangles on the outside. ”

“ Sal-athl-kia-pan tsa-na.
66495. Small-mouthed yeast souring bowl. Mo-tse ó-pi-k’ia-na-k’ia té-k‘iä-mo-li-a.
67343. Ancient bowl for the sacred medicine water belonging to the hereditary line of House Caciques of Zuñi (K‘ia-kwi-á-mo-si) and sold by stealth to me by the youngest representative of that body of priests. Shí-wan an k‘iä ́-lin ó-na-k’ia sá-a-wi-thlui-a-po-na. See fig. 1, pl. xli.
Plate XLI.1. (67343) ZUÑI BOWL.
66828, 66835, 66872, 67240. Small drinking bowls. Té-tu-tu-na-k’ia sá-we á-tsa-na.
66896. Small drinking bowl showing use as paint bowl. Tú-tu-na-k’ia sá-tsa-na. ”

“ Green flame of flight to the very tip!”
I looked into the bowl, wondering:
And night and dawn mingled
And sleep stirred
And the day turned in its dream,
And flame, flickering, swept the bowl’s lip.
Then I took the bowl in my two hands,
Thanking God.
But now in my bowl dawn breaks no more,
Over the bowl’s lip I hear the iron shudder of dry leaves
Beaten by frozen wind.
There is no rain to soften sleep,
No day like topaz in the sun,
I see the larch crumble to ash,—
My arms grow numb back to the very heart
Holding this bowl God gave to me! ”

“ The player, instead of rolling the bowl, throws it in such a manner, that it rests in the place where it first touches the ground; and if that be a fortunate situation, the next player pitches his bowl directly on his adversary’s, so as to make that spring away, while his own fixes itself in the spot from which the other has been dislodged.—Some of the citizens are astonishingly dexterous at this game, which is more complicated and interesting than the English manner of playing. ”

“ The players stand at a distance, which may be varied by joint consent, and throw at the pins a large heavy bowl, which sometimes weighs six or eight pounds. The excellency of the game consists in beating them down by the fewest casts of the bowl. ”

“ Anyhow, when one dark rainy morning the sharp need came for something of this kind, it was I who thought of the bowl, which, after all, could contain almost as much Jordan water as could the freestone font in St. Barnabas's, and was twenty times more beautiful. ”

“ Fear not to slaver; ’tis no deadly sin,
Like the free Frenchman, from your joyous chin
Suspend the ready napkin; or, like me,
Poise with one hand your bowl upon your knee;
Just in the zenith your wise head project,
Your full spoon, rising in a line direct,
Bold as a bucket, heed no drops that fall,
The wide-mouth’d bowl will surely catch them all. ”