Indonesian Kendi or Ritual Water Vessel

A sooty pot bristling with spouts, like a small black hedgehog.

This kendi or ritual water vessel is from Java, Indonesia. It is terra cotta. Java has a long tradition of pottery, and vessels for water have been used both in daily life and in ceremonies and offerings. Wide, low body in dull black with a short central neck and a flat-topped lip. Pointed spouts project at different angles around the shoulder, and a small nub sits at the front of the otherwise smooth surface. It is 5.5 inches high and 7.5 in diameter.

Plenty of spouts, and each one has an opinion.