<em>Cruet</em>, 1600–1644. ceramic, H: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy, 44.138.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.138.4_acetate_bw.jpg)

Cruet, 1600–1644. ceramic, H: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy, 44.138.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.138.4_acetate_bw.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

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!

Cruet

Asian Art

MEDIUM ceramic

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

Possible place made: China
Possible place made: Netherlands

DATES 1600–1644

DYNASTY Ming Dynasty

PERIOD Late Ming Dynasty

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) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 44.138.4

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Cruet, 1600–1644. ceramic, H: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry W. Healy, 44.138.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.138.4_acetate_bw.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 44.138.4_acetate_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT 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.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.