<em>Drinking Ewer (Kendi), Arita Ware</em>, ca. 1680. Glazed porcelain, 8 9/16 x 5 7/8 x 6 7/8 in. (21.8 x 15 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. John P. Lyden, 1995.184.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1995.184.4_side1_PS9.jpg)

Drinking Ewer (Kendi), Arita Ware, ca. 1680. Glazed porcelain, 8 9/16 x 5 7/8 x 6 7/8 in. (21.8 x 15 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. John P. Lyden, 1995.184.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1995.184.4_side1_PS9.jpg)

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These kendi were made for export, but was the art and porcelain making techniques ever adopted in Malaysia and Indonesia?

That's a great question! Malaysia and Indonesia did develop porcelain technology, but much, much later. These areas were avid consumers of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese ceramics for centuries. They were rich in raw materials that the other countries wanted (spices, sandalwood, marine products, hardwoods), so they were able to trade quite easily.

What were kendi used for?

While the kendi shape was originally used as a ritual vessel pouring liquids at ceremonies in India, these kendi were used as drinking vessels on a more everyday scale. Liquid would be poured into the top of the vessel and emerge from the spout.

What are these?

These are kendi. This type of vessel would have been used originally for ritual pouring of liquids in India. These versions, however, were more everyday objects used for drinking. These kendi, called "mamiform" because the spout is breast-shaped, would have been used to pour water directly into the mouth without touching the vessel. We know that the majority of kendi vessels were exported to Malaysia and Indonesia, usually from Japan, China, Vietnam, or Thailand. Dutch still life paintings also provide evidence that they were exported to Europe in the 17th century!

The kendi look like the water vessels used in Vedic puja rituals. Do you know where the word kendi was derived from?

It looks like "kendi" is a Malay word derived from the Sanskrit word for water pot. These vessels were designed for Hindu rituals. They were created in East Asia, but intended for export to Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia and Indonesia.

What is a kendi?

A kendi is a type of handle-less, spouted pouring vessel. The form originates in Southeast Asia, but they were eventually produced in Japan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand for export to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Kendi were originally used in Hindu rituals, but eventually became general drinking vessels by the 14th century.

Huh! Thanks, that's very interesting!

Q: Why are Chinese ceramics so often blue?

The answer sort of boils down to: because they couldn’t get other colors to do what blue did. The blue glazes you see are created with cobalt which was valued for the fact that it stayed blue even through the high heat of the kiln, it could be used like ink and wouldn’t run, and looked good under a clear glaze. They hadn’t yet figured out how to make other colors work that way.

The technology was first developed in Persia and transmitted to China via the Silk Road. It became immensely popular there and the designs that Chinese potters created, in turn, influenced Persian potters.

That is really interesting! Thank you so much for that insight :)

Drinking Ewer (Kendi), Arita Ware

Asian Art

MEDIUM Glazed porcelain

Place Made: Japan

DATES ca. 1680

PERIOD Edo Period

DIMENSIONS 8 9/16 x 5 7/8 x 6 7/8 in. (21.8 x 15 x 17.5 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 1995.184.4

CREDIT LINE Gift of Dr. John P. Lyden

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Drinking Ewer (Kendi), Arita Ware, ca. 1680. Glazed porcelain, 8 9/16 x 5 7/8 x 6 7/8 in. (21.8 x 15 x 17.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. John P. Lyden, 1995.184.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1995.184.4_side1_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE profile, 1995.184.4_side1_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2014

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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