Martaban Vessel

• Martaban vessel decorated with blue and white roundels, auspicious animals and a raised dragon.
• Made in the kilns of Southern China and from the Khmer Kingdom of Cambodia, martaban jars have been used for centuries for the transport of goods.
• The name refers to the port of Marta Ban in present-day Myanmar, where many of these pieces left on their initial journey.
• In many cultures, particularly in Borneo, martaban jars were passed down through generations as cherished heirlooms, and had a strong spiritual and magical personality.

Collected in Borneo in the 1990s.