Antique 19th Century Brass Kendi Kettle, Minangkabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Details

Description

Traditional Hand-Washing Kettle (Kendi / Water Ewer) from West Sumatra (Minangkabau people), Indonesia.
Historically used in wealthy Minangkabau households for … Read more Traditional Hand-Washing Kettle (Kendi / Water Ewer) from West Sumatra (Minangkabau people), Indonesia.
Historically used in wealthy Minangkabau households for ceremonial hand-washing before communal meals.

Cast Brass, man-made with Lost-wax casting (cire perdue), finished with hand-engraved details, making each kettle a unique piece.

Compressed globular body with a high, distinctively flared pedestal foot.
High, elegantly arched overhead handle, traditionally attached via heavy cast loops/eyes.
Prominent, elaborately shaped spout extending from the shoulder, featuring stylized floral base elements.
Domed, removable fitted lid, typically topped with a decorative finial shaped like a stupa.
Intricate geometric borders, traditional Islamic-influenced floral scrollwork, and foliate patterns hand-chiseled into the surface.

• Manufacturing Evidence: Asymmetrical wall thickness, small casting anomalies, and remnants of core-retention iron pins or hardened casting clay on the underside.
• Patina: Deep, authentic dark-brown to blackish oxidation in unpolished crevices, with natural light golden highlights on high-wear areas as handle and body. See less