Washbasin

The name washstand (washbasin) refers to a piece of furniture for personal hygiene, together with dishes used for washing. In the history of interior design, washstands were among the earliest and most diverse appliances aiding basic ablutions. The washstand should not be confused with a toilette, the name of which comes from the French term 'petit toile', referring to a piece of cloth laid out on a table for utensils and mixtures meant for personal care specifically. In modern times, when the awarness of hygiene and its impact on health was increasing, the demand for easy-to-use sanitation devices grew as well. Before the running water supply, the most frequently used appliance was a table-washbasin with a bowl placed on the tabletop, a jug of water, and washing utensils. In addition, washstands frequently had a skeletal design, that formed racks and holders for personal care items or served as a support for stone or glass tabletops. Additional protections prevented water splashing. Handles attached to the edge of the table or mounted on the skeletal structure by the manufacturer were an additional feature that provided easy access to clean towels. Towards the end of the 19th c., together with the arrival of running water supply, the installation of taps, and the fitting of a ceramic bowl with a sewage drain inside a hole in the tabletop, the traditional washstand became a modern bathroom appliance (see S.2912MŁ). To this day, despite the improvements made to sanitation and technical solutions and the changing interior design styles, a fully plumbed sink with a ceramic bowl in a stone countertop remains an elegant and desirable feature of the modern bathroom. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967