Water Vessel Korea, Koryo period, 1200s bronze, 14 inches (35.6 cm) high Gift of Dr. Robert Rinden by exchange 1971.5

Vessels of this type, commonly used to hold water, have their origins in the kundika carried by Buddhist monks in India since ancient times. The narrow mouth of a kundika served to sprinkle water for purification rites. Korean paintings of the Koryo period (918-1392) show that water vessels like this were made in varying shapes and sizes and served both ritual and utilitarian functions.


To Korea