Kashkul (Dervish’s Bowl)
1850-76 (made)
| Place of origin |
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 verses from the Qur'an as well as poetry in Persian praising the ‘kashkul’ 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 shell’s journey took on spiritual significance as a symbol of the dervish’s journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. Many ‘kashkuls’ even have a ‘prow’ carved on them. Others have a small spout to make the bowl into a drinking vessel.
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 shell’s journey took on spiritual significance as a symbol of the dervish’s journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. Many ‘kashkuls’ even have a ‘prow’ carved on them. Others have a small spout to make the bowl into a drinking vessel.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Coco de mer; carved |
| Brief description | Kashkul or dervish's bowl, carved coco de mer, Iran, Qajar period, 1850-1876 |
| Physical description | Formed of half a double cocoa nut, carved, in low relief, with a horizontal registers of running vine and creeper motif alternating with inscriptions; the top of the kashkul depicts a standing lion in profile. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | This object was donated to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A) in 1875. Over the course of 1875, Robert Murdoch Smith (the Museum's agent in Iran) negotiated his first major purchase from Jules Richard, a French art-dealer living in Tehran. This consignment was considerable, with valuable artworks in many media: ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, oil paintings, manuscripts and carved stone. Towards the end of the negotiation, Richard added a further list of objects, which included this one: these were given to the museum for free. |
| Summary | 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 verses from the Qur'an as well as poetry in Persian praising the ‘kashkul’ 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 shell’s journey took on spiritual significance as a symbol of the dervish’s journey on the ocean of mystic knowledge. Many ‘kashkuls’ even have a ‘prow’ carved on them. Others have a small spout to make the bowl into a drinking vessel. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 735-1876 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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