I have a gilded seashell imprint bowl marked: “ITALY 1847” with a porcelain coating on the inside (makes a high pitched gong sound when tapped) and what appears to be wood grain -underneath a red stain – underneath the gilding. Is this my imagination? The inside porcelain looks as if it were coil wrapped, but I suppose it may have been wood carved to appear that way… or maybe swelling of a tree’s rings. Any info is greatly appreciated thank you!
Pretty sure you have a Papier Mache` bowl probably from the 40`s and someone has added the porcelain interior with the liquid porcelains you can buy at hobby shops !! Thats why it feels top-heavy and unbalanced !! The top edge shows bleeding of the original paint into the white and the edge looks very amateurish and not smooth and well defined !! No factory would produce such a bowl as this !! The number is likely just the pattern/mold number !!
Okay I was able to take better pictures and also get measurements.
It is roughly 11″ x 7″ when measuring at largest points on top. It weighs about 3 – 3 1/2 lbs. When i tried gouging a fingernail into the base it didn’t even make a mark. The top porcelain area reflects light very similar to how a pool does.