kendi (ritual water sprinkler)

kendi (ritual water sprinkler) , early 1600s, Wanli period (1573–1620), Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Where object was made: China

Material/technique: porcelain; underglaze

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 20 x 14.6 x 37 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 7 7/8 x 5 3/4 x 14 9/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Dr. Mary F. Gray

Accession number: 1997.0450

Not on display

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Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Circuits of Exchange: The Global Taste for Blue-and-White Ceramics," Mar-2009, Kris Ercums
The kendi, a ritual container for holy water, is widespread in the Southeast Asian repertoire of vessels. Between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, Chinese glazed stoneware produced in Guangdong and Fujian provinces was exported in large quantities to ports in Southeast Asia. While widespread in the Philippines and Indonesia, the dearth of kendi in China suggests that these vessels were made specifically as export items for the Southeast Asian market.

Archive Label 2003:
This unusually shaped vessel was used for the storage and pouring of liquid and was made in China primarily for export to Southeast Asia. It is decorated with spirited, almost naively-rendered plump, galloping horses.