Description:

A TINNED COPPER KASHKUL WITH DRAGON-HEAD TERMINALS, SAFAVID IRAN, EARLY 17TH CENTURY
Safavid Iran, early 17th century

Description:
A finely crafted tinned copper kashkul (dervish beggar’s bowl) formed in the shape of a stylised boat, featuring prominent dragon-head terminals at each end. The twin heads are cast with detailed facial features and open jaws, inlaid with turquoise to enhance their expressive presence. The body is decorated with richly engraved bands of nastaʿlīq script around the rim and repeating arabesque medallions below, all enclosed within linear borders. The tinning has largely oxidised to a soft silvery-grey patina, with subtle traces of its original shine.

Kashkuls were used by Sufi dervishes during processions or spiritual gatherings and symbolised detachment from worldly possessions. The integration of cast elements, fine calligraphy, and surface tinning reflects the high standard of Safavid metalwork and spiritual material culture.

Dimensions:
Length: 34cm
Height: 20cm

Comparable examples:

  • A Safavid kashkul with similar dragon-head terminals, British Museum, London, accession no. 1888,1201.232. 

  • A tinned copper dervish bowl, Safavid period, Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, London, 6 October 2021, Lot 47, sold for £18,750. 

  • A comparable engraved boat-form kashkul, David Collection, Copenhagen, inv. no. 39/1987, published in Islamic Art: The David Collection, 2007.

Note:
This example typifies the refined iconography and technical skill of 17th-century Persian metalworkers. Dragon-head terminals suggest an apotropaic or protective function, while the combination of engraved inscriptions and floral registers reveals an object made not only for devotional use but for visual admiration. The kashkul stands as both functional vessel and symbolic vessel of spiritual humility.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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£500 £999 £50
£1,000 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £4,999 £200
£5,000 £9,999 £500
£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £49,999 £2,000
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£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
£200,000 £499,999 £20,000
£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
£1,000,000 + £100,000