Indonesian Kendi or Ritual Water Vessel

Squat, bulging, and topped with a flared, pinched mouth like a three-cornered hat.

This kendi or ritual water vessel is from Java, Indonesia. It is terra cotta. Kendi are made across Southeast Asia, and the form is generally thought to have spread through trade and religious exchange between India, China and the islands of Indonesia. A dark, rounded vessel with a puckered body and a slender neck that opens into a lobed lip. A small knob sits on the shoulder, and the surface is matte brown with scorched reddish patches. It is 4.25 inches wide, 5 deep and 7 high.

Lumpy in all the right places, and proud of it.