There is a variation to that reserved only for females - the bronze cage (a fine, chinese IIRC, method of torture). Instead of a bowl they used a bronze cage with a single rat inside and they placed this strategically... ahem... attached to the womans genitalia. They heated the cage, the rat panicked and tried to ...wel... eat his way out, through the only side that was not barred - the one leading to the womans insides.

A very horrible way to die, if you are a lady...