Beggar's Bowl (Kashkul)

Inscription: Inscriptions:
Top of the hollow space:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. ناد علیا مظهر العجائب. تجده عونا لک فی النوائب. کل هم وغم، سینجلی بعظمتک، یا الله، بنبوتک یا محمد، بولایتک یا علی، یا علی
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. Call upon Ali, who makes wonders appear. You will find him some help to you in adversity. All care and grief will clear away by your greatness. Oh Allah, to your prophecy Oh Muhammad, to your guardianship Oh ʿAli, Oh ʿAli

Bottom of the hollow space:
یا شافی
O healer

Around the vessel:
اللهم صل علی محمد المصطفی و علی المرتضی و فاطمه البتول و السبطین و الحسن و الحسین و صلعلی زین العباد و علی محمد الباقر و جعفر الصادق و موسی الکاظم و علی الرضا و محمد التقی و علی النقی و الحسن الزکی العسگری والخلف الصالح صاحب الزمان و العصر و خلیفه الرحمن و الامام النس و الحنّان الحجة القائم
Peace be upon Muhammad the chosen, and ʿAli the approvable, and Fatima the impeccable, and grandchildren, and Hasan and Hussein and peace be upon the ornament of worshippers, and upon Muhammad the one who opens knowledge, and Jaʿfar the truthful, and Musa the tolerant, and upon Riza and Muhammad the pious, and ʿAli the distinguished, and Hasan the pure the military and the righteous son, lord of time and era, viceregent of Rahman (the God), and Imam of humans and Jin, and the proof [of the God], he who will rise.

Around the vessel in one frame:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. الله لا اله الا هو الحی القیوم لا تاخذه سنة و لا نوم له ما فی السماوات و ما فی الارض من ذا الذی یشفع عنده الا باذنه یعلم ما بین ایدیهم و ما خلفهم و لا یحیطون بشی من علمه الا بماشا وسع کرسه السماوات و الارض و لا یئوده حفظهما و هو العلی العظیم لا اکراه فی الدین قد تبین الرشد من الغی فمن یکفر بالطاغوت و یومن بالله فقد استمسک بالعروة الوثقی لا انفصام لها و الله سمیع علیم الله ولی الذین امنوا یخرجهم من الظلمات الی النور و الذین کفرا اولیاؤهم الطاغوت یخرجونهم من النور الی الظلمات اولئک اصحاب النار هم فیها خالدون (سوره البقره، آیات 255، 256 و 257)
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower. Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. (Surah al-Baqara, verses 255, 256 and 257, translation from Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. A. A. Knopf, New York, 1930).

On the back, top pendant:
هو 121
“He” 121 (This is a common phrase among some Muslim groups. The word “هو” refers to Allah. Also, 121, which according to a system of writing called Abjad, means ʿAli, the fourth caliph of Rashidun Caliphate and the first Imam of Shias).

On the back, top and bottom of the scene:
مرید پیر مغانم، ز من مرنج ای شیخ
چرا که وعده تو کردیّ و او به جا آورد
O Sheikh! Of me, grieve not I am the disciple of the Pir of the Magians:
For, thou promisedest; and he to place hath brought.
(Poem by Hafiz; translation by Henry Wilberforce Clarke, Hafez: Dance of Life. Mage Publishers, Washington, D.C., 1988)

On the back, bottom pendant:
فقیرم
I am poor.

On the back, in the middle of the scene:
سلام علی ابراهیم
Hail to Abraham.

(Mohammad Farsimadan, December 2022)

In nasta'liq script around the body:
Nad-i Ali (Prayer to Ali); excerpt from the Throne verse from the Qur'an (Ayat al-Kursi); and invocations to Shi'i Imams.

In cartouches on bottom:
Couplet of a ghazal (ode) by the Persian Sufi poet, Hafiz.

In small pendant on bottom:
The date (A.H. 1210)

Private Collection, London (until 2018); sale, Christie's, London, October 25, 2018, no. 118 (to MMA)

Christie's, London. "25 October 2018." In Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Oriental Rugs and Carpets. London, 2018. no. 118, p. 126, ill.