Indian Presentation Silver Kashkul-Form Bowl

Indian Presentation Silver Kashkul-Form Bowl

Kashmir, first half 20th century, of traditional navette form, the body decorated with scrolling coriander and chinar leaves, the ends with ringed handles from cobra's heads whose bodies meander downwards into the coridander, the side rims decorated with pierced and tapering rosette scrolls, engraved on a cartouche on the body with date "8/10-7-'57" and on the edge of the foot "Jawaharlal Nehru".
h. 5-1/4", l. 10", w. 6"; 12.65 t. oz.

Notes: This handsome piece is in the traditional form of a kashkul: a begging bowl carried by wandering dervishes. The rings on the end recall where a strap was attached to the more modest pottery, brass or sea-coconut originals, permitting them to be carried over the shoulder. Wealthy aristocrats and merchants later adopted the form in finer materials, which became very popular as presentation items. The inscribed date and name here suggest it was a gift presented by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who attended the British Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in London on July 8-10, 1957. He was at the time at the height of his popularity, having recently been sworn in to his second ministry after a sweeping victory in the 1957 Indian General Election (the second after independence from Britain).
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