The kendi is a well-known form in
the Southeast Asian repertoire of vessels, and it has played a significant role
in the rituals and daily life of the region since ancient times. Made of
precious metal such as gold, silver or bronze, the kendi and its precursor, the
kundika, appear in sculpture and painting as an attribute often held in a hand
of the Hindu gods Brahma and Shiva, Maitreya the future Buddha and the
compassionate Avalokitesvara (in Mahayana Buddhism). It was used as a ritual
container for holy water, collected from sacred rivers and blessed by the gods,
in the coronation ceremony of a king, who cleansed himself with the water as a
symbol of purification.