# Punch bowl > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Punch_bowl > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Punch_bowl.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_bowl > Source revision: 1321727442 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Large bowl used for punch For other uses, see [Punch bowl (disambiguation)](/source/Punch_bowl_(disambiguation)). Punch bowl with lid and stand, made at the [Meissen porcelain](/source/Meissen_porcelain) factory, Germany, 1770, V&A Museum no. C.37&A-1960[1] A **punch bowl** or **punchbowl** is a bowl, often large and wide, for serving mixed drinks such as [hippocras](/source/Hippocras), [punch](/source/Punch_(drink)) or [mulled wine](/source/Mulled_wine), with a [ladle](/source/Ladle_(spoon)).[2] A **monteith** (*seau crennelé* in French) is a similar bowl, usually of silver or [pottery](/source/Pottery), scalloped around the edge. It was mainly a wine cooler, designed for cooling glasses in icy water, the feet of the glasses held in the notches, but could be used as a punchbowl.[3] Monteiths appear in Britain around 1680, and were popular until the 1720s or so.[4] Very large examples, like the [Jerningham wine cooler](/source/Jerningham_wine_cooler), are usually called a **wine cistern**. These were more often used as [wine coolers](/source/Wine_accessory#Coolers), for cooling wine bottles with icy water, but for a large party might be used as punchbowls.[5] [Tureens](/source/Tureen) normally used for soup or other food might also be used. ## History Silver monteith by John Leach, London, 1704-1705 [Hippocras](/source/Hippocras), wine with herbs and spices, and [mulled wine](/source/Mulled_wine), similar but more likely to be served hot, go back to the Middle Ages, indeed ancient times. In [Ancient Greek pottery](/source/Ancient_Greek_pottery), the [krater](/source/Krater) is a large (sometimes extremely large, as in the [Vix Krater](/source/Vix_Krater)) mixing-bowl for wine, of similar rounded shape, but with two horizontal handles. The word *punch* is a [loanword](/source/Loanword) from [Hindi](/source/Hindi). The original drink was named *paantsch*, which is Hindi for "five", and the drink was made from five different ingredients: [spirit](/source/Distilled_beverage), sugar, lemon, water or tea and spices. The drink was brought back from India to England by the [sailors](/source/Sailor) and employees of the [British East India Company](/source/British_East_India_Company) in the early seventeenth century, and from there it was introduced into other European countries.[2] Spanish royal punch bowl made by [Baccarat manufactory](/source/Baccarat_(company)) ([France](/source/France)) towards 1830 Punch quickly became a popular drink. It was served in punch bowls, usually ceramic or silver, which were often elaborately decorated. Punch bowls sometimes had lids or were supported on a stand; other accessories such as a serving ladle and cups in which to serve the drink sometimes accompanied the punch bowl. Punch bowls were often painted with inscriptions or were used for testimonial purposes: the first successful whaling voyage from [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool) was commemorated by a punch bowl presented by the owners of the ship to its captain.[6] The ubiquity of the punch bowl as a household item is illustrated in this 1832 quote: The punch-bowl was an indispensable vessel in every house above the humblest class. And there were many kindly recollections connected with it, it being very frequently given as a present. No young married couple ever thought of buying a punch-bowl; it was always presented to them by a near-relative.[6] A glass punch bowl with serving ladle. Occasionally, less likely vessels were used as punch bowls, such as a marble fountain to serve 6,000: On the 15th October 1694 [Admiral Edward Russell](/source/Edward_Russell%2C_1st_Earl_of_Orford), then commanding the Mediterranean fleet, gave a grand entertainment at [Alicante](/source/Alicant). The tables were laid under the shade of orange-trees, in four garden-walks meeting in a common centre, at a marble fountain, which last, for the occasion, was converted into a Titanic punch-bowl. Four [hogsheads](/source/Hogshead) of brandy, one pipe of [Malaga wine](/source/Malaga_(wine)), twenty gallons of lime-juice, twenty-five hundred lemons, thirteen hundredweight of fine white sugar, five pounds' weight of grated nutmegs, three hundred toasted biscuits, and eight hogsheads of water, formed the ingredients of this monster-brewage. An elegant canopy placed over the potent liquor, prevented waste by evaporation, or dilution by rain; while, in a boat, built expressly for the purpose, a ship-boy rowed round the fountain, to assist in filling cups for the six thousand persons who partook of it.[6] ## Particular punch bowls The [Liscum Bowl](/source/Liscum_Bowl) set on display, 2nd Infantry Division Museum, Korea - [Jesus College, Oxford](/source/Jesus_College%2C_Oxford) owns a large [silver](/source/Silver)-[gilt](/source/Gilding) punch bowl, presented by [Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn](/source/Sir_Watkin_Williams-Wynn%2C_3rd_Baronet) in 1732.[7] The bowl, which weighs more than 200 ounces (5.7 kg) and holds 10 imperial gallons (45 L), was used at a dinner held in the [Radcliffe Camera](/source/Radcliffe_Camera) in 1814, to celebrate what was supposed to be the final defeat of [Napoleon](/source/Napoleon_I_of_France). Those present at the dinner included the [Tsar of Russia](/source/Alexander_I_of_Russia), the [King of Prussia](/source/Frederick_William_III_of_Prussia), [Blücher](/source/Gebhard_Leberecht_von_Bl%C3%BCcher), [Metternich](/source/Klemens_Wenzel_von_Metternich), the [Prince Regent](/source/George_IV_of_the_United_Kingdom), the [Duke of York](/source/Prince_Frederick%2C_Duke_of_York_and_Albany) and the [Duke of Wellington](/source/Arthur_Wellesley%2C_1st_Duke_of_Wellington).[8] There is a college tradition that the bowl will be presented to anyone who can meet two challenges. The first is to put arms around the bowl at its widest point; the second is to drain the bowl of strong punch. The bowl measures 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) at its widest point, and so the first challenge has only been accomplished rarely; the second challenge has not been met.[9] - The [Stanley Cup](/source/Stanley_Cup) is frequently described as a punch bowl. - The [Sydney punchbowls](/source/Sydney_punchbowls) are made of Chinese porcelain and depict rare scenes of early [Sydney](/source/Sydney). - The [Liscum Bowl](/source/Liscum_Bowl) set is made from 90 pounds (41 kg) of sterling silver gifted to the United States Army from China during the [Boxer Rebellion](/source/Boxer_Rebellion) in 1900. It is the most prized possession of the [9th Infantry Regiment](/source/9th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)) and worth upwards of $2.5 million.[10] ## Other uses At times, punch bowls were used as [baptismal fonts](/source/Baptismal_font) in [dissenting](/source/Dissenter) families.[6] The American poet [Oliver Wendell Holmes](/source/Oliver_Wendell_Holmes_Sr.) wrote the poem *On Lending a Punch-bowl* about an old silver punch bowl.[11] In English usage, large, bowl-shaped landscape features (often the head of [combes](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coombe) or valleys) were occasionally given the name *punch bowl*, such as the [Devil's Punch Bowl](/source/Devil's_Punch_Bowl) in [Surrey](/source/Surrey) or [Punchbowl Crater](/source/Punchbowl_Crater) ("The Punchbowl") on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Punch bowl and Cover"](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O277543/punch-bowl-and-meissen-porcelain-factory). *Metalwork*. [Victoria and Albert Museum](/source/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Edwards_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Edwards_2-1) *The Language of Drink* Graham and Sue Edwards 1988, Alan Sutton Publishing 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Truman, Charles, ed., *Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Silver*, p. 198, 1996, Conran Octopus, ISBN 1850297592 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *[Schroder, Timothy](/source/Timothy_Schroder), *The National Trust Book of English Domestic Silver, 1500-1900*, 324, 1988, Penguin/Viking, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0670802379](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0670802379) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Schroder, 4 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BoD_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BoD_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-BoD_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-BoD_6-3) Chambers, Robert (1832). [*Punch and Punch-bowls in*The Book of Days](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_K0UJAAAAIAAJ). London, UK: W. & R. Chambers Ltd. pp. [496](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_K0UJAAAAIAAJ/page/n492)–9. Retrieved 29 October 2008. punch bowl. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Glanville, Philippa](/source/Philippa_Glanville) (2004). ["A Treasured Inheritance"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051226202914/http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/2003-04/v16n3/07.shtml). *[Oxford Today](/source/Oxford_Today)*. **16** (3). [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University) Public Affairs Directorate. Archived from [the original](http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/2003-04/v16n3/07.shtml) on 26 December 2005. Retrieved 15 March 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Popkin, Michael (November 2001). ["War and Peace"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070315004641/http://www.oxfordinscriptions.com/war_and_peace.htm). *Oxford Inscriptions: Inscribed Stones and Plaques in Oxford*. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Thomas, Llewellyn](/source/Thomas_Llewellyn_Thomas) (1891). ["Jesus College"](https://archive.org/details/collegesofoxford00clarrich). In Clark, Andrew (ed.). *The colleges of Oxford: their history and traditions*. London: Methuen & Co. p. 387. Retrieved 19 August 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Robson, Seth (28 December 2003). ["2nd ID museum director keeps history alive"](https://www.stripes.com/news/2nd-id-museum-director-keeps-history-alive-1.14892). *Stars and Stripes*. Retrieved 25 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-OWH_11-0)** Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1852). [*The Poetical Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes*](https://archive.org/details/poeticalworks00holmgoog). London, UK: G. Routledge & Co. pp. [267](https://archive.org/details/poeticalworks00holmgoog/page/n297)–71. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781421916804](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781421916804). punch bowl oliver. {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date)) ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Punch bowls](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Punch_bowls). - [Chinese hard paste punch bowl (1786–90) made for the export market](http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ewpor/ho_1984.449.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Punch bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_bowl) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_bowl?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.