Vaakakippo

Vaakakippo is a Finnish term found in historical and ethnographic writings, generally interpreted as a compound of vaaka (scale) and kippo (bowl or dish). The word is usually described as a container used in conjunction with a balance scale to weigh goods.

Historically, vaakakippo referred to a small bowl placed on a scale's pan to hold a commodity during measurement. In market settings and kitchens, such bowls helped standardize portions and facilitated accurate weighing of bulk items such as grains, seeds, or salt. Some descriptions indicate that the bowl could be a separate vessel or integrated with the scale's pan assembly.

Materials varied from wood to metal or ceramic, and the design could differ by region or period. The term is primarily attested in Finnish-language sources and may appear in dialect texts or museum catalogs as a historical object rather than a current term.

In modern contexts, vaakakippo is rarely used in everyday Finnish. It is mostly encountered in historical discussions of measurement practices or in studies of traditional trade rituals. Etymology derives from Finnish vaaka, meaning scale, and kippo, meaning bowl.