Essay
By Noam Backner
Sea Breeze: The Odyssey of the Kashkul
Tracing the dervish’s begging bowl from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the courts of Qajar Iran and the markets of Kashgar.
Botanical erotica: the sea coconut (Lodoicea maldivica).
An ornate kashkul from Qajar-era Iran.
The wandering dervish: a perennial threat to the respectable social order.
A kashkul from Kashgar—a mere vessel, or a sign of moral decay?
The watchful eyes of the 'religion of progress.'
A mature sea coconut palm, heavy with fruit.
A metal kashkul, meticulously fashioned in the likeness of a sea coconut.
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