a drinking vessel. A piala is a small cup without handles, which has the shape of a half sphere or a truncated cone and is wider toward the top. It fits comfortably in the hand and rests on a saucer. The piala is widely used in Middle Asia and adjacent regions. It has been known since the second half of the first millennium B.C. The early pialas were made of pottery clay, whereas modern pialas are manufactured primarily in factories from faience or porcelain.