Kendi Pouring Vessels in the University of Malaya Collection

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 story of the kendi is closely interwoven with the history of South-East Asia, kendi of pottery and porcelain having been recovered in sites dispersed over a vast area of Island South-East Asia. The kendi in the Muzium Seni Asia, University of Malaya, form 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 culture as well as the practices and customs that prevailed in the region at different periods.Khoo, Joo E. is the author of 'Kendi Pouring Vessels in the University of Malaya Collection' with ISBN 9780195889390 and ISBN 0195889398.