This month’s featured object is a rare and symbolically rich Brahmin’s water flask, traditionally known as a kamandal. Crafted from coco de mer the remarkable sea coconut prized for its rarity and organic form,the vessel is elevated through intricate silver embellishment, transforming it from a natural object into a sacred artefact.
The flask takes the distinctive form of a gomukhi, or “cowfaced” vessel. Its silver spout is shaped as a cow’s head, an image deeply embedded in Hindu thought. The cow embodies ideals of sacrifice, purity, maternal care, and righteousness, making it a fitting symbol for a ritual object associated with spiritual practice and devotion.