What was this bowl originally for?

[Hoka Hey]

I found this at Goodwill. Just curious what it was originally made for. I've been using it to hold soap containers. Keeps the soap off bathroom counter, and more importantly with the hole in the lid, I can cover the soap while it's drying. We have Cats. 5 of them. This works very well for my intended purpose. I now have 3 of them. So what the heck is it?

 

[matwho]

Potpourri?

 

[adamchur]

It definitely looks a bit elaborate to have been a soup bowl...........
But

The lid reminds me of a beehive - it looks like something that might have contained honeycomb as part of a supermarket's Christmas stock

 

[Joma12]

I have always seen them used for French onion soup.

Amazon.com | Gibson French Onion Soup Crock Bowls with Handles - Set of 4: Soup Bowls

Could have also been an mortal/pestle bowl with a lid.

 

[Freebase8244]

The general shape reminds me of a French onion soup bowl.

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

Some type of tea-brewing vessel?

 

[Hoka Hey]

It's heavy stoneware. Handle is hollow. I was thinking maybe for baking something specific, but no idea what.

 

[Freebase8244]

Just found this picture on etsy. Identified as a Vintage Brown Stoneware Pottery French Onion Soup Bowl with Handle and Vented Lid

 

[Antony]

That's a soup/stew/noodle cooking pot and eating bowl in one. Some restaurants cook and serve the food in these. They get very hot, but keep the heat, hence the hollow handle.

 

[Einar Son of Ragnar]

With that shape lid, it's a "tagine," used in North-African cooking, especially for making couscous dishes. I've never seen one that small though.

 

[Antony]

China also. For noodle stew. Due to the heat, the waiter/waitress sometimes serves them on something that looks like a chopping board.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Perfect size for soap.

 

[BobbyB]

It resembles the bowls holding tortillas in Mexican Restaurants. A clever adaptation to DE shaving!!

 

[Vivasanti]

Here in New Zealand we call them Ramekins - used for hot meals, anything from soup to cassarole.

 

[cerna348]

 

[miguel]

As seen on TV Stonewave

 

[maybe smith]

Always been a French Onion soup bowl to me.......Or you could buy several thousand of them and market them as microwave cooking bowls.

 

[tchip13]

I think it was a bedpan!

 

[Tallships]

Whatever it WAS used for, it is now one of my soap bowls and I love it

 

[BigJ]

With that shape lid, it's a "tagine," used in North-African cooking, especially for making couscous dishes. I've never seen one that small though.

+1. Interesting and certainly the smallest 'tagine' I have seen.