Jain nesting bowls

[David Bolson]

How do they do this? And why is it wort so little?

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[David Metzman]

that's a lot of bowls. I am not sure how they do it since they seem to have pretty flat bottoms. Most coring tools in the US result in rounded bottoms. Also, note that they are probably pretty small in diameter but that is cheap. Do we know if they are all cut our of one piece of wood? Notice the smaller bowls are higher.

[John K Jordan]

that's a lot of bowls. I am not sure how they do it since they seem to have pretty flat bottoms. Most coring tools in the US result in rounded bottoms. Also, note that they are probably pretty small in diameter but that is cheap. Do we know if they are all cut our of one piece of wood? Notice the smaller bowls are higher.

Look like some might even be different species.

[Pat Scott]

I bet each bowl has a spacer between them to lift each one up. People do that sort of thing for the picture.

[roger wiegand]

Very interesting. Also known as Oryoki bowls in Japan. The big one is the Buddha bowl, the Buddha receiving the largest portion. They are used by Buddhist monks as begging bowls. Most these days are made from plastic. Lacquered wood is most popular in Japan, the plain wood more so in India.

I can't find anything about manufacture of the wooden ones. To make such close fitting flat bottom bowls I'd think about sawing them in concentric circles and then gluing the base on.

Unfortunately the answer as to "worth" is that they are probably made by 12 year olds in India earning a dollar a day under health and safety conditions that would make your hair stand on end.