South Sea Island Finger-Bowls

The finger bowls of the South Sea are halved coconut shells. They are useful, practically unbreakable and new ones can always be found on the next palm tree. 

— Photo source Etiquipedia private library by Clifford C. Graber

Europeans and Americans did not invent fhe finger-bowl —either in form or in use. They were used in the South Sea Islands, some hundreds of years before Europeans and Americans found out that they were necessary to their own “refinement.” A bowl of water is handed around to every diner in the South Sea home. The South Sea finger-bowl is half a coconut shell, beautiful, useful, practically unbreakable, yet not of sufficient worth to its being thrown away tomorrow and replaced with by a fresh one from the nearest palm tree. —From a Harper’s Weekly article, 1911 

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia