Publication Date
1850
Publication Place
Iran (made) -
Subject
Islam
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Length: 24cm, Height: 15cm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
937-1869
Record ID
937-1869
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
1850
Notes
The beggar's bowl or âkashkulâ was a sign of the religious poverty assumed by Islamic mystics. This function is reflected in the inscriptions used. On this âkashkulâ they include verses from the Qur'an as well as poetry in Persian praising the âkashkulâ in mystical terms. This bowl is carved from half the shell of a huge nut. It is the fruit of the coco de mer palm which grows in the Seychelles Islands, in the Indian Ocean. The shell washes ashore in southern Iran. The shellâs journey took on spiritual significance as a symbol of the dervishâs journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. Many âkashkulsâ even have a âprowâ carved on them. Others have a small spout to make the bowl into a drinking vessel.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Coco de mer; carved
Fiziksel açıklama
Formed of half a double cocoa nut, carved, in low relief, with a horizontal registers of running vine and creeper motif alternating with inscriptions, with a wide register along the base carved with a medallion of floral sprays and birds; the top of the kashkul depicts a lion entangled in fight with a serpent (or dragon).
