Kovsh

The kovsh (Russian: ковш) is a traditional drinking vessel or ladle from Russia. It is oval-shaped like a boat with a single handle and may be shaped like a water bird or a Norse longship. Originally, the kovsh was made from wood and used to serve and drink mead, with specimens excavated from as early as the 10th century.^[1] The metal kovsh began to appear around the 14th century, although it also continued to be carved out of wood and was frequently brightly painted in peasant motifs.^[2] By the 17th century, the kovsh was often an ornament rather than a practical vessel, and in the 19th century, it was elaborately cast in precious metals for presentation as an official gift of the tsarist government.^[3]