A Swedish late 17th century parcel-gilt silver bowl, Nicolaus Breuman, Stockholm (1666-1676 (77))

This exquisite large bowl/tureen with lid is made by Nicolaus Breuman (working in Stockholm in the 1660s and 70s) and is one of the earliest examples of this type of object, typical for the spendour of the baroque. Only a few similar silver bowls are mentioned in the literature, for example a bowl made by Henrik Möller and included in Vilhelm Assarsson's collection at Bergsgården estate.
The basic shape is a large round bowl with or without a lid and with upward-pointing handles, sometimes with a volute, and usually standing on three feet. These bowls first appears in the 1670s and was produced until the 1740s in silver but in pewter until the 1800s. Also on the lid there are three feet so that it can be placed upside down as a tray on the table.
In this specific bowl the feet are shaped like gilded ball and claw, which occurs on a couple of the very oldest known examples.
Several of these magnificent objects appear in inventory lists from the 17th century, but many were eventually melted down to be reworked into later types of objects and a number of them were donated to the church where they occasionally were used as baptismal bowls. According to some researchers, these bowls may have originated in Germany or Denmark, but are today considered to be a primarily Swedish model.
The bowls are mentioned as Kallskål, Kallskålskål and sometimes called Grötskål. The shape with handles suggests use as a drinking vessel that was sent around and where you drank directly from the bowl. The bowls were probably used to serve a dish/drink called Kallskål, which in the 17th and 18th centuries was a popular dish made of an alcoholic beverage with added sugar, spices and orange peel, but the bowls may also have been used to serve hot food or porridge.