Kundika (Buddhist Ritual Water Sprinkler) Vessel
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Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Kundika is a Sanskrit term for a long-necked water-pouring vessel. Throughout Asia these vessels were associated with wandering ascetics, who carried them like canteens. In ancient India, pouring water into the hands of another person was a way to express “your wish is granted.” Because of water’s association with wishes, purification, and nurturing, kundika often appear among the attributes of Buddhist deities such as the future Buddha Maitreya and the Bodhisattva Guanyin. In ritual, they are used to evoke those deities and to pour water for cleansing purposes.
Caption
Kundika (Buddhist Ritual Water Sprinkler) Vessel, 16th century. Bronze, 10 1/2 × 7 × 6 in. (26.7 × 17.8 × 15.2 cm) from base: 10 1/2 x 4 1/8 in. (26.7 x 10.5 cm) at mouth: 3 in. (7.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Wallace, 77.141. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.141_bw.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Kundika (Buddhist Ritual Water Sprinkler) Vessel
Date
16th century
Period
Muromachi Period
Geography
Place made: Japan
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
10 1/2 × 7 × 6 in. (26.7 × 17.8 × 15.2 cm) from base: 10 1/2 x 4 1/8 in. (26.7 x 10.5 cm) at mouth: 3 in. (7.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Wallace
Accession Number
77.141
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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