Indian Kamandalu or Holy Water Vessel

A spout like a swan's neck, and a body like a very round, very polished pot.

This Kamandalu or holy water vessel is from India and dates to the 20th century. It is brass. The kamandalu is a water pot long associated with ascetics and sages in Indian tradition, and it is commonly shown as a spouted vessel carried for ritual use. This one has a rounded body on a flared foot, with a ribbed neck and a wide, stepped lip. A long, curved spout leaves the body at the shoulder and arches upward. The brass is smooth, dark and softly worn, and a fine crack shows on the foot. It is 8.5 inches wide, 13.5 deep and 10 high.

Graceful, and made to be carried a long way.