William III Silver Bleeding Bowl, 1698

This is a fine example of a William III period silver bleeding bowl with Britannia standard hallmarks.

This good-sized bowl takes the usual form with a single open-work handle that is appropriately stamped with a lion's head erased stamp to the underside. The bowl is fully hallmarked for the purer Britannia standard silver and although a touch rubbed include a clear date letter and the maker's mark "MA" for the large worker Matthew Madden. This is a great late 17th century example of the type and is in fine original condition.

Bleeding bowls were used to collect blood during bloodletting – this was a practice once carried out to treat a wide range of diseases and medical conditions.