An Iconographic Review on Beggar's Bowl Culture and Ceramic Bowls in Sufi Tradition

Abstract

Bowl is one of the significant objects of Sfism along with beads, axe, staff, grains, belt, submission stone, starboard and folder (cilbend), banner and folder. Begging bowls-pots used by various orders such as Ruf, Qalandar., Mawlaw., Bekta.., Ni fmatull.hiyya, .afawiyya dervishes and Abdals of Rum for eradicating contempt are called gKe.kul h. It is known that the tradition of begging with bowl originated in India. While begging is considered as a profession in India, it is not accepted as a means of livelihood in Islamic communities and it was even not welcome. However, begging constitutes an important step that real dervishes must take on the path towards S.fism. Various materials were used for making beggar fs bowl such as coconuts, minerals, wood, glass and ceramic. In this research, an iconographic review was conducted on beggar fs bowl culture and ceramic bowls in Islam. Bowls have pulled out, withdrawn and straight mouth form, round and ring bottoms, gibbous and spherical shaped bodies. Samples with gibbous body have two handles and those with spherical body have three handles. All of the samples examined are glazed and sub-glazing coloured painting decoration technique is used in their ornaments. Herbal, geometric, figurative ornaments and writings stand out on the bodies of the bowls. The iconographic meanings that the ornaments on reviewed samples are parallel to the intended use of the bowls. Reviewed samples are dated to 17th and 19th centuries. Our aim is to introduce these ceramic bowls that feature motives and iconographic matters besides functionality-which have a significant place in the lodge art-and the importance of bowls in begging culture among Islamic orders to the scientific world. © 2021 Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University. All rights reserved.