While the production of pottery has been known in the Indonesian archipelago since an early period, the majority of the wares produced were earthenware, except for East Java where stoneware clays did exist. Nevertheless the Dutch during their colonization of several hundred years in the islands introduced the majority of interest in high fire ceramics. Indonesia, while producing quite a volume of wares, never attained the technical superiority of the other major ceramic producing nations; namely China Thailand, Korea, Japan, and others.

In Indonesia as in other Asian countries earthenware was an excellent material for storing water due to its slight porosity allowing a slight evaporation and thereby cooling the contents. There are a variety of earthenware water storage containers from large to small made throughout Asia. The large can be as large as ten feet tall and as many feet in diameter, dwarfing the small sometimes even palm size water vessels for religious ceremonial use. Among the myriad vessels for water storage however, one particular class of vessel is pervasive through out the entire South East Asian region, the kendi.

The kendi form, commonly used throughout South East Asia, is believed to have its origins in India. In fact the word kendi evolved from the word kundi which in turn evolved from the word kundika, the word for water vessel in India. In Hindu iconography Kundika sometimes appear as a godly attribute of Siwa or Brahman. Kundika also have prominence in Buddhist cultures as one of the eighteen holy vessels held by a Buddhist monk.

The kendi has manifested itself in many forms through out South East Asia as it was manufactured in varying regions for specific uses. As the uses varied the form changed and adapted. Kendi were probably one of the first objects produced by the Chinese purely for export, and not for use within China. Within Indonesia the most common form of kendi is the single neck bottle; however, there are also many excellent examples of multi necked and spouted kendi vessels.

The gourd, commonly used through out the world as a water vessel, is often replicated in early kendi forms, and in fact some areas of Sulawesi still produce gourd shaped kendi vessels. The Gayo area of Ache has many gourd and pumpkin shaped kendi as well for both daily and ceremonial use. One unique form of kendi is the maling, or thief’s kendi, which has to be filled from the bottom. This ceremonial kendi from the Mayong, Pati province has an internal central funnel running from the base to the shoulder, and is usually made with two false spouts. Bali and Lombok, with their production of kendi maling prove this form to be a traditional one in many areas of the archipelago. Palembang area produced highly unusual kendi with as many as five spouts from any of which water can be poured. Palembang also went on to produce zoomorphic vessels taking the form of roosters and other birds most often with some lizard and other animal forms.

The kendi with the widest variety of shapes are the spouted kendi ranging in form from round to ovoid or flat, with either short or tall feet. The neck and spout areas vary widely from tall and narrow to short and wide. As was stated earlier most water vessels produced in Indonesia are unglazed earthenware; in the Majapahit kingdom of East Java during the late 13th to early 16th centuries however, we begin to see the production of high fired glazed kendi which basically followed the forms of the unglazed earthenware.

The kendi as a drinking vessel is an important part of the material culture of Indonesian life. Often filled and placed in front of homes as an offering to thirsty passers by demonstrates the hospitality inherent in the culture. Even today such offerings are common especially in Java. Other uses of kendi are for the administration of liquid medicine to the infirm so they do not need to sit up to drink. Some kendi believed to have magical properties were shaped in the form of male genitals with an inscription to the effect of ‘medicine for those who...’ Kendi also are commonly used in ceremonies such as weddings and inaugurations. The cool water in kendi signifies a perfect marriage and in West Java the bride washes the feet of the groom with water poured from a sacred kendi after which the groom shatters it symbolizing the wives faithfulness to the husband. Also used in naming ceremonies and inaugurations full kendi are frequently shattered mirroring the western tradition of the breaking of a wine bottle or wine glass.

The kendi susu or breast kendi is fashioned in the form of a breast serving as a metaphor to the life sustaining mothers milk, and pointing to the importance of such in Indonesian culture. In a Central Javanese dance called the Tari Bondan a small girl with a doll in her arms dances atop a kendi taking care not to break the vessel. Such a dance symbolizes the importance of a gentle upbringing by mothers of small children, and as such the kendi serves as a vehicle for transporting cultural values across generations, and reinforcing traditions.

Lampung province has a marriage tradition where the bride and groom carry a spear between them from which hangs a kendi, sugarcane, paddy stalks, and other symbolic elements to a river where the kendi is filled and used to bath the couple. This is believed to purify the couple bringing harmony to the marriage through the cool sacred water of the kendi. Kendi are used in marriage as a symbol of fertility and are believed to enhance the fertility of the bride. The pratolo kendi or earth kendi are especially associated with fertility and the following Javanese legend is often relayed in relation to the pratolo kendi:

A girl walking in the forest saw the kendi filled with water under a large tree. Being thirsty she drank from it. The water was delicious and tasted like nectar. The girl brought the kendi home with her but shortly afterwards she became pregnant. Her family did not believe her story that she only drank water from the kendi, and sent her away. She gave birth to a beautiful son. Although she barely survived the baby did not lack nourishment because every time she drank from the kendi her breasts were filled with milk.

There are many other legends of fertility connected with kendi, and pratolo kendi have pervaded Java as an ethno-unique symbol of fertility.

We can see that kendi with their long history dating back to ancient India, with both Hindu and Buddhist significance as holy vessels give kendi a special significance in the culture of Indonesia. Kendi are used throughout Asia, and their use even extends to the Middle East where they were adapted for hooka smoking. The ancient symbolism of fertility associated with kundika has carried over into Indonesian culture giving kendi a highly symbolic presence for such a commonly used article of daily life. As evidence of their hospitality, and with myriad uses, kendi serve as an important part of the Indonesian material culture, and act as a unifier of cross cultural elements throughout the archipelago of Indonesia.

Bibliography

Adyatman, Sumarah Keramik Mutakhir Bergaya Antik, The Ceramic Society of Indonesia, 1983.

Adyatman, Sumarah Kendi, The Ceramic Society of Indonesia, 1987.

Kartiwa, Suwati, Dra. The Role of Pottery in Our Live, Museum Pusat, 1977.

Yudhoseputro, Wiyoso Album Keramik Tradisional, Ministry of Education and Culture, 1984.