Kendi

Object Details

• Description

  Kendi (drinking vessel), globular with flattened shoulder, a flattened mammiform drinking spout, a medium length straight neck with deep rounded projecting flange below the lip, low shallow square-cut foot. Small chip in lip, chip in footrim.

  Clay: white porcelain of medium-fine texture. Unglazed base shows some dark spots and buff to rusty areas of oxidation on exposed surface.

  Glaze: clear, feldspathic, slightly bluish cast, uneven coverage toward base, the dark lines of the cobalt paint decoration exposed in a few areas of base border. As far as can be seen, the interior is unglazed.

  Decoration: painted in underglaze blue in line and wash. Flange has a row of lotus petals; the neck, upright floral sprays in natural style; on shoulder, a trefoil band; main wide band around belly, two naturalistic prunus branches and three flying insects; at base a very simplified lotus petal band; spout has two cloud-collar panels holding conventional motifs (one of which is identifiable as a fungus, the other may be the same) and two simple leafy sprays separating the panels. Encircling lines separate the bands of decoration and a line defines both lips. There is a curving line at junction of spout and body.

• Label

  Blue-and-white was an important export item from the very beginning of its production, first to the Near East and Southeast Asia, then to Europe. The Chinese did not make many concessions to the tastes of these regions. One notable exception was the kendi, a drinking vessel made expressly for the Southeast Asian market. This example, with its floral design painted in a pale shade of blue, dates from the 15th century.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia (April 1, 2007 to December 4, 2011)

  Chinese Ceramics (March 15, 1982 to July 10, 1986)

  Chinese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to September 4, 1980)

• Origin

  Jingdezhen kilns, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1400s

• Place

  China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen, Jingdezhen kilns, Indonesia

• Topic

  Cobalt pigment, Porcelain, Art, Clear glaze, Insects, Chinese Art, Kendi, Ceramics, Flowers, Jingdezhen ware, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Lotus

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)