c. 1750

Punch Bowl

A 1696 definition for punch, a beverage that had been around in some form since the early seventeenth century, describes it as “a kind of Indian drink made of Lime-Juice, Brandy, and other Ingredients.” The word may have been derived from the Hindi and Urdu word for “five,” a reference to the number of ingredients that were sometimes included in the recipe. Punch was poured into small cups with a ladle or drunk directly from the bowl, which was probably the case with bowls of this small size.