Object Details
Culture
Cambodia
Date
ca. 13 century
Medium
Ceramic with greenish beige glaze
Dimensions
Height: 3 1/8 inches (7.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Dean F. Frasché
Object
Number
69.121
Khmer potters commonly used whimsical zoomorphic and anthropomorphic jars and bottles as lime contai(…)
Khmer potters commonly used whimsical zoomorphic and anthropomorphic jars and bottles as lime containers in the preparation of betel nut. The lustrous, rich brown glaze that covers the surface of this pot is also a common characteristic of wares dated to the Angkor period, (twelfth to thirteenth centuries). The brown glaze is the result of a high iron content. The shape of this pot has been likened to an owl, which is also a common shape in Khmer wares, as the owl is a familiar inhabitant of Southeast Asia and tends to reside near temple compounds. Bird shapes in ceramics, statuary, or architectural motifs in general have been equated with celestial beings because of their ability to fly. They are seen as intermediaries between the earth and the heavenly realms or as messengers to the gods. (From “A Handbook of the Collection: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,” 1998)
