Kendi

The kendi, an upright bottle-like vessel with a spout on the shoulder, is closely associated with the culture of Southeast Asia, where it has been used as a utilitarian and ritualistic vessel since at least the eighth century. Its origin is unknown but etymology suggests India as a source. "Kendi", a Malay word, is a derivative o "kundika", a Sanskrit word meaning "water pot". Local variations of the term "kendi" are used in Malaysia and Indonesia today. Even though the terms are related, it is uncertain whether or not the kundika was a prototype for the kendi because their functions differ. Both are designed to be filled from the larger opening and poured from the smaller opening but the positions of the opening are reversed on the two vessels. The kundika is filled from the spout and paired from the mouth while the kendi is filled from the mouth and poured from the spout. It seems like that the kendi originated in India was transmitted to Southeast Asia and China by traders and religious leaders in the early years of the Christian era.

The general shape - with a round body, straight neck, and mouth - looks like a bottle. Unique features of the kendi are a spout set at an angle on the shoulder and the absence of a handle. Originally the kendi may have been a metal form as junctures of the neck and spout at sharp angles to the body are metallic features. Reproduction of the kendi in fired clay is complex, requiring skill and technology. Yet pottery kendis have been found in habitation sites in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia dating from the eighth century. Early kendi fragments have also been found in Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and form a later date, in Laos. Even though the form must have been introduced in China at approximately the same time as it was in Southeast Asia, limited shards have been found in china indicating that it was note widely used domestically. In contrast, evidence of the kendi in Southeast Asia is sufficient to assume that it was used extensively throughout the mainland and insular regions.

The kendi has persevered as a ceramic form in Southeast Asia over a long period of time. The earliest ones were made of unglazed earthenware and the form continues to be made of unglazed earthenware and the form continues to be made of the same material today. But, in between, the kendi was produced in stoneware, both unglazed and glazed, and porcelain. Evidence of its early use in the region suggests that I was originally made locally and later imported from China and Japan. Thailand and Vietnam also produced kendis and exported them to Indonesia and the Philippines.

Kiln sites producing kendis have been found in peninsular Thailand at Sathing Phra. Specific features of kendis from this area are distinct white clay and a long narrow neck. The kilns may have been in operation as early as the tenth century.

Another type of kendi, previously unknown, has been found in conjunction with Sukhothai and Sisatchanalai glazed wares on sunken ships in the Gulf of Thailand. The shape is a globular body with a mammiform spout. A slender neck and a mouth with a flange are reminiscent of a metal form. The clay color is black and it is unglazed. It was probably made in Thailand during the Ayutthaya period (1350 - 1767). The quantity found is small in proportion to other wares. It is possible, therefore, that these kendis may have been used by crews on the ships which were carrying ceramics as export cargo.

Insight into the purpose of the kendi is provided by ancient religious carvings in Indonesia and Cambodia, dating between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. Various scenes depict the kendi as a vessel filled with liquids, used either for utilitarian or ceremonial purposes. The form is generally sturdy and solid, making it suitable as a container for liquids, a use that is implied by the name. The narrow neck and double opening suggests that it was used for drinking. The neck is narrow enough to hold the vessel in one hand, while the spout opening is small enough for liquid to pass through without the vessel touching the lips.

Since the quality varies from weighty, crudely made earthenware to light, delicate, finely potted porcelain, the extent and duration of use must have been broad. The former most likely had a utilitarian use, whereas the latter was probably reserved for ritualistic and ceremonial functions.

A recent study of kendis classifies the form by the shape of the spout. Kendis with a straight spout were made in China during the Song period, in Cambodia in the eleventh century, and at the Sukhothai, in Thailand, in the fourteenth century.

Unglazed shapes with a bulbous spout from the eighth and ninth centuries are depicted on reliefs at Borobudur, in Java. The bulbous spout first appeared in China in the middle of the fourteenth century. It was a popular form throughout the Ming period (1368 - 1644) and was produced in blue and white as well as enamels.

In the fifteenth century, kendis with animal-like appendages were made in Thailand, china, and Vietnam. Generally, the spout is modeled like an animal's head with an opening through the mouth and a tail on the opposite side. The neck may be in the form of a rider. Features such as feathers or wings were modeled or incised on the surface of the body. Both naturalistic and mythical animal shaped kendis were made. The Thais achieved a high degree of excellence in producing the complex form.