Italian Passata Bowl

Decorative 19th Century Italian passata bowl.

Passata bowls, also known as 'limmi,' originate from Puglia in Southern Italy. 

They take the form of rustic handmade terracotta bowls.

The beautifully decorative element comes from the white glaze on the interior, which is splattered with dark green paint.

These lovely bowls take their name from the fact they were often used for making tomato paste or washing olives.

Passata bowls were used in diverse ways, though, including washing clothes with a disinfectant in hospitals before the dawn of the washing machine. 

Beautifully decorative and full of history, this bowl could be used for domestic purposes or just for display.