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Kendi on a flat, unglazed base, moulded in the form of a crouching toad with a raised head forming the spout. On his back a cylindrical neck with a flanged rim. The back of the animal with dispersed flowerheads and small blue dots on a light blue wash to suggest skin, the belly left plain. A border of flames running along his limbs and from his eyes to his rear. The neck with a prunus spray, the rim with symbols.
Kendis in the form of a toad are indeed very rare examples of the zoomorphic variety of this vessel. The skin of the creature is very carefully rendered with much attention to detail. Ceramics in the shape of toads go back to the 3rd century, the toad always having been popular as a symbol of long life. This type of kendi is also in the Ardebil collection in the Iran Bastan Museum in Teheran and the Topkapi Saray in Istanbul, attesting to the fact that they were also exported to the Middle East. The British Museum has an example, formerly acquired in India. The Percival David Collection in London has another one.
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