Some typical furnishings of a Renaissance banquet. There were also bowls for washing hands
If you have ever seen paintings depicting the large and typical Renaissance banquets , you have certainly noticed the presence of bowls.
Not dishes, but just bowls filled with water.
Well, have you ever wondered what they were for?
To wash your hands.
That's right, in the Renaissance their hands washed at the table during meals.
Although in many countries the habit of using cutlery had spread in fact, especially in the upper classes, it was still quite common to nibble on food with your fingers.
That's why, between one course and the next, there was a need to clean your hands well.
Among the wealthiest families, these bowls often consisted of small artistic masterpieces of great value and refinement.
They were almost always made of silver, smooth or finely inlaid, of different sizes and weights.
More than one could be found on the long tables set and, to make the water fragrant, various essences were used.
The rose petals they were very popular ( see also https://www.pilloledistoria.it/10105/storia-moderna/tavola-fiorentino-del-rinascimento).