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Kashkul...beggars bowl...inlaid with turquoise
Kashkul...Antiquities...Beggars Bowl
Living Switzerland has given me an opportunity of experiencing and learning something new just about everyday in every respect.
In my field of eating and sleeping antiques having the obsession of travelling the length and breadth of the country, viewing a mountain load of goodies on offer, from the smallest mountain villages to the various cities, from charity shops to antique shops and of course private households there seems to be an endless amount of exciting items on offer.
Days spent researching the weird and wonderful allows me to pin down items that I have no idea about but cannot resist buying as they have a magical draw and the artistry is amazing. I was given a great book for my birthday, a big thank you to Philippe who knows about my love and obsession. The book * A History of the World in 100 Objects* written by Neil MacGregor opened a whole new world to me. In reading about the history and significance of the objects shown took me on an in depth journey in googling further information not only on the subject but also on the history surrounding the Object.
This in turn led me to various websites which showed many more Objects which were very new to the scope of my knowledge on antiquities. It was with delight that after much research I recognized an Object at a local flea market. Asking the vendor what the object is used for she replied..*No idea* then after a short conversation I was informed that her family had a warehouse of goodies covering some 440sqm that had been collected over the last 20 years and had decided to start selling. Guess where I am off to in the next week having arranged a private viewing and hopefully finding some more gems.
So here is my find and I just love it for its history and rather special style and beauty. It was used for centuries and is still being made today, I guess, mostly in the Arabic world, Russia & India. Also a few links that explain the use and history of the *kashkul* beggars – bowl. The first link is an amazing read, should you have the time it is filled with detailed history, numbers and thinking through the ages. Perhaps teachers and scholars of today would change a few ideas but then the world changes and so do ideas and beliefs. A direct link to the explanation for the *kaskul* open the link and then type in *kashkul* in the search block at the top of document which will take you directly to the explanation. The document is a long read but very informative so to those who love history and difference of opinion go ahead as it’s a good read. www.muhammadanism.org/Zwemer/across_world_islam/across_world_islam_no_illustrations.pdf
Quote “ The dervish calls down the blessing of Allah at the doors where they have filled his kashkul”
Beggars bowl…used to collect alms and scraps of food
The second link is a summary for the kashkul…..http://changelog.ca/topic/Kashkul
A quick look at some of the various kashkuls on offer…Ebay…as well as those represented in museums throughout the world
I hope that this research although small may be of help to those who have an interest in antiquiti
