Ornamental Alms Bowl (Kashkul) with Foliate Decoration

Bowls of this shape were carried by Muslim mendicants and ascetics who renounced worldly possessions and relied on alms for sustenance. Carved from a single piece of jade, this bowl is unlikely to have served as an ascetic’s begging bowl. It was probably intended for display in a shrine or gathering place for mystics. By its very form the bowl would have reminded viewers of alms-giving—an essential duty for Muslims.