Cruet
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
Cruet, 1600–1644. ceramic, H: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm) Base (diam): 3 in. (7.6 cm) with spout (diam): 5 7/8 in. (15 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy, 44.138.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.138.4_acetate_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Cruet
Date
1600–1644
Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Period
Late Ming Dynasty
Geography
Possible place made: China, Possible place made: Netherlands
Medium
ceramic
Classification
Dimensions
H: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm) Base (diam): 3 in. (7.6 cm) with spout (diam): 5 7/8 in. (15 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy
Accession Number
44.138.4
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
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!
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