Kendi

One of the most intriguing of South-East Asian vessels is the kendi, a water container with a rounded body, a straight neck with an opening, and a spout set at an angle on the shoulder. The Muzium Seni-Asia, University of Malaya, houses the world's largest public collection of kendi. Collectively spanning a period of over 1,000 years, and representing a number of countries in East and South-East Asia, they reflect differences in potting material, shape, and decoration and show how an ancient form has survived to the present. They thus provide important clues to the patterns of trade and cultures as well as the practices and customs that prevailed in the region at different periods.