Kashkuls carried the food donations on which Sufi dervishes and wandering ascetics relied for sustenance. They also functioned as drinking vessels – many had drinking spouts, as is the case with the example here.
These bowls were produced from a variety of materials and their form may have been derived from crescent or boat shaped wine bowls made in pre-Islamic Iran. Kashkuls symbolise the emptying of the Sufi’s ego through the renunciation of worldly goods and aspirations.
