William & Mary Wassail Bowl
ENGLAND, circa 1690
In lignum vitae with lid and acorn finial. The body has a turned band decoration, waisted socle and domed foot.
Height: 13 inches
Bibliography: “Treen for the table” by Levi; P/20, Wassail bowl with acorn finial is illustrated.
The height of wassailing could be said to have occurred during the 17th century, at a period when magnificent bowls elevated on a stemmed foot graced many a magnificent table. Wassail bowls were traditionally turned from Lignum Vitae, a newly discovered timber from South America. The function of a wassail bowl is to hold ‘wassail’, a hot punch like beverage of which there are many recipes. Amongst other ingredients, most will contain: wine, ale, ginger, apples, honey and beaten egg whites. ‘Wassailing’, the tradition of drinking wassail took many forms.
’Wassail’ is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon phrase waes hael, a term often used as a toast meaning, be hale or good health. There are innumerable-wassailing traditions, many of them centered around Christmas time and New Year. It was the aristocracy and landed gentry along with institutions like the guilds that would have possessed the grand vessels, often embellished with fine engine turned decoration. Somerset fruit growers used to serenade their trees with wassail at the end of harvest time.