OVAL VESSEL

Ceramics Description

Some archaeological finds have been discovered from the excavation of prehistoric sites in Cambodia, which date to the Neolithic period (5,000BCE). One collection housed in the Lyon Museum was excavated from the Samrong Sen site. It consists of pottery decorated with spirals on a stippled background and dated to the late Neolithic period. Maude Girard-Geslan wrote in a recent catalogue , “the pottery built by hand, comprises containers with rounded or footed bases. In the oldest strata of the midden, the pottery has little or no decoration, but in the higher levels the decoration becomes more complex, always geometrical, it some time consists of smooth, broken or wavy bands on a dotted background”. Recently, an archaeological excavation by the students of the Faculty of Archaeology and other looting by local people at Snay village (Battambang province) revealed ceramic vessels provisionally dated to two hundred years before the Christian era. However, the ceramics of the Angkor period are well known. Bernard-Philippe Groslier led expeditions to many sites in the Angkor complex to study objects by comparing them with the monuments where they were found. Unfortunately, his efforts did not allow him to establish a chronology of Khmer ceramics. According to his research, there were two methods of producing ceramics. The first was a continuation of traditions from the Neolithic period, the second used a potter's wheel and firing at very high temperatures. Despite Indian and Chinese influences, Khmer ceramics are characterised by their own shapes and decoration. The ancient Khmers produced three main categories of ceramics: for architectural decoration (roof tiles, decorative finial motifs, and etc.); for religious ceremonies: vases and statues; and some vessels used in daily life: cauldrons, storage containers, vases, ewers, and etc. Some ceramic objects had zoomorphic shapes such as fish, elephants, rabbits, horses and frogs.

OVAL VESSEL

Material: Earthenware

Dimensions: H: 34.9 cm

Date: Pre-Angkorian period

Provenance: Khum Mkak, Kong Pisei (Kompong Speu province)

Collection: National Museum of Cambodia,

Phnom Penh

H:455 H:44.76 Kha.1732

Usually these vessels were used for carrying potable water. Cambodian people refer to the different parts of a vessel to those of the human body: the mouth, neck, body and foot. A vessel is considered as having human attributes. The body of this vessel is decorated with horizontal lines that subdivide it again into upper and lower sections.

It is characterized by a splayed opening or mouth and the long neck is decorated with two concentric lines at the base, and three circles on the body.

According its light pink colour and form, this vessel reveals manual production methods as there is no symmetrical axis and the firing was at a low temperature.

At this time, ancient potters used a tool shaped like a comb to press or incise the designs to decorate the ceramics.