Lot Essay
This type of kendi is also known as a 'pomegranate' ewer due to the pomegranate-like star-shaped panels on the body. Another distinctive feature is their long curved spout resembling Middle Eastern prototypes. Cf. Christiaan J.A. Jörg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Ming and Qing Dynasties, 1997, p.66, pl.53, for a pair of double-gourd vases. These double-gourd pieces are not very common in Western collections and might have been made primarily for the Islamic markets after a metal or glass model. They are usually dated late 16th, early 17th century. A silver mounted example is in the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin (illustrated by Lunsingh Scheurleer 1980, pl. 36). For a similar example see M. Rinaldi, Kraak Porcelain, London 1989, p. 179, pl. 228.