This ritual water vessel is also known as a kendi, a Malay term derived from the Sanskrit word ‘kundika’, meaning water vessel. It is possible that early forms were influenced by examples from India. A typical kendi does not have a handle and is held by the neck. However this unique form of double-spouted kendi has a small handle joining the two spouts. Kendi have been used in Southeast Asia for at least a thousand years, and were used in important ceremonies such as weddings and funerary rites, where water from a kendi is sprinkled over the grave.
