If you look at the history of barbers, you will find that they were similar to doctors in the early years. Known as barber-surgeons, they performed a multitude of tasks, including bloodletting, pulling teeth, setting bones, and treating wounds. This bowl was used for a few purposes, namely bloodletting and pulling teeth. The notch is made to contact the neck, so the bowl would easily hold any blood or fluids that occurred during surgery. On the left side of the bowl is a divot where the barber would lay his thumb so he could easily grip the bowl when his hands were wet. The lip and inside is decorated with flowers and a curved border. Some marks are in the outer lip from production issues, along with a few chips. You can also see some crazing in the finish around the edge of the bowl. Underneath is some wear on the base, with four mold marks and two small holes drilled for a string to display the bowl on the wall. 2010-YP