A skull of a person. A skull is often shown in Hindu art as being carried by the deity Shiva, who uses it as a receptacle to contain his food and drink.
The skull bowl, like many of Shiva's other qualities, such
as the snakes he wears as jewelry and the ash from the cremation site with
which he smears his body, is a symbol of Shiva's wild nature and his separation
from the norms and worries of ordinary life.
In order to imitate this tale, certain Shaiva ascetics, both
past and present, have used a skull-bowl.
The top skull is detached to make a bowl, while the lower
skull is frequently obtained from cremation sites.
Discover more about Hindu Art, Architecture, and Iconography here.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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