Never heard the basin called a bowl before, but I can see it.
I believe in that particular scene, Ichibod, is ruminating over something Kathrina said about him being less than a man as he leaves Sleepy Hollow. The toy is something he used to impress her and the visual is probably Tim Burton’s way of conveying Ichibod’s anguish over him (the cage) shirking his desire to protect Kathrina (the bird). It’s also an analogy for how technology is inherently flawed and, in turn exposed his own broken nature.
You most likely want to smack it out of his hand because Ichibod Crane is kind of a crybaby.