Sufi Dervish Coco-de-Mer Begging Bowl (Kashkul)

Large Sufi Dervish
Coco-de-Mer Begging Bowl (Kashkul)Persia or Northern
India 18th-19th centurylength: 35cm, width: 19cm, height:
18.5cm Kashkuls carried the food donations on which Sufi dervishes and wandering ascetics relied for sustenance. They also
functioned as drinking vessels - many were fitted with drinking spouts
to that end.They symbolised the emptying of the Sufi’s ego through the
renunciation of worldly goods and aspirations. The bowls were produced in a
variety of media and were held or hung from the shoulder by metal
chains. The earliest examples date to the thirteenth or fourteenth century, and
their form may have been derived from crescent- and boat-shaped wine
bowls made in pre-Islamic Iran.This example is made from the shell of
the coco-de-mer, which is native to several islands in the Indian
Ocean.This example is larger than most and has a superb patina. The
shell has been left in its natural state and is without carving. It has been
worn almost flat on the protruding part of one side, consistent with
the vessel rubbing against the chest of the wearer whilst being suspended from
the neck. Rarely do extant examples show such clear and obvious wear
consistent with actual use. The brass spout has been worn thin with wear. The
bowl is suspended by a double chain which is fixed to the bowl by means
of two brass loops which are fixed to the nut via two serrated flower-like brass
disks.