Author
Haji Abbas (maker)
Publication Date
1800
Publication Place
Iran (made) -
Subject
Accessories Containers Islam Metalwork Religion
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Maximum length: 24.5cm, Height: 10cm, Depth: 11cm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
405-1876
Record ID
405-1876
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
1800
Notes
The beggar's bowl, or kashkul, was a sign of the religious poverty assumed by Islamic mystics. This function is reflected in the inscriptions used. On this kashkul they include a poem in Persian lauding the kashkul in mystical terms. Many kashkuls are carved from half the shell of a huge nut - the fruit of the coco de mer palm. The tree grows in the Seychelle Islands, in the Indian Ocean, and the shell washes ashore in southern Iran. This took on spiritual significance as a symbol of the dervishâs journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. The shape of the coco de mer nut was copied in steel kaskhuls like this one.
Sample Text
poem in Persian Translation This tale is of the lustre of a steel kashkul which was Worthy of the Khaqan of China and to ornament the feast of a Caesar. Whoever desires the spring of Khidr and eternal life, Or the cup of Jamshid, seeking it from the hand of an Alexander, Imbibe the secret of the form of the kashkul from the enduring appraisals; Its fame is an open shop; the kings of the world the customers.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Steel bowl, chased and engraved Steel Casting Chasing Engraving
Fiziksel açıklama
Bowl with small spout in the form of a kashkul or dervish's wallet, made of watered steel, chased and engraved with flowers and inscriptions naming the maker Haji Abbas, Isfahan
Üslup
Qajar
