Ca. 1400-1500 AD. A magnificent kashkul (begging bowl), cast from brass with two opposite dragon-headed terminals that are pierced to allow the bowl to be hung from a chain. The boat-shaped bowl is intricately engraved with a dense pattern of arabesques and nasta'liq script, lending the vessel a strikingly intricate and ornate appearance. In Islamic culture, the Kashkul served as a symbol of the Sufi tradition of mendicancy, or begging, as a means of attaining spiritual enlightenment. These vessels were often carried by wandering dervishes and ascetics who would use them to collect food and alms from the community. The Kashkul would serve as a portable and practical means for the ascetic to sustain himself during his travels, while also acting as a reminder of the spiritual path he had chosen. Cf. Christie's Live Auction 7218, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 4 April 2006, Lot 152. Size: L:525mm / W:190mm ; 1.43kgProvenance: Acquired from a Central London Antique Shop; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s.