Kundika (Buddhist Ritual Water Sprinkler) Vessel

16th century

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)

Title

Kundika (Buddhist Ritual Water Sprinkler) Vessel

Date

16th century

Period

Muromachi Period

Geography

Place made: Japan

Medium

Bronze

Classification

Vessel

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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