Beggar's Bowl (Kashkul)

This kashkul, or beggar’s bowl, is made from a coco-de-mer shell—the double-lobed nut of the coco-de-mer palm. These shells washed ashore on the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean and were later imported to Iran. Kashkuls were carried by dervishes to collect alms and, for Sufis, also symbolized a "carrier" of divine knowledge and spiritual renunciation.

This example is distinguished by its intricate carving, refined design, and inscriptions executed in fine nasta‘liq script. Three carved bands encircle the bowl: one invokes the names of the Shiʿi Imams; a second features mystical verses by the 14th-century poet Hafiz of Shiraz; and a third contains verses by an unknown poet. The carver devoted exceptional attention to minute details, evident in the delicately rendered feathers of the birds’ wings and the textured petals of the flowers. The kashkul retains its original chain, which a dervish would have used to carry it.