Elephant and Mahout Kendi

Si Satchanalai Kiln Site, Central Thailand, 15th–early 16th century CE

Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum

This elephant-shaped kendi, or jar, was recovered from the Brunei shipwreck, located 32 nautical miles off the coast of Brunei during a geophysical survey by a French petroleum company in 1997. 

Unlike some of the other objects in this exhibition, objects from the Brunei wreck were scientifically excavated rather than commercially salvaged. Maritime archaeological excavations are very costly, and, in a curious intertwining of heritage protection and resource extraction, the excavation of the Brunei wreck was funded by the petroleum company undertaking the geophysical survey. Under the leadership of maritime archaeologist Michel L’Hour and supported by 175 international specialists, some 15,000 objects were recovered from the site, including Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese stoneware and blue and white porcelain. 

Believed to date to the 15th or early 16th century, this kendi originates from the Si Satchanalai kiln site in Central Thailand, a region known as the centre of Thailand’s ceramics industry since the 14th century. Made of brown-glazed stoneware, the kendi features an elephant with a rider on its back, symbolising loyalty, strength, wisdom, and fertility—values ​​revered in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The condition of this artefact is mostly intact, but some parts are missing, including the tusks, trunk, and left rear leg. There are also cracks on the left front and rear legs of the figurine. The kendi reflects both cross-cultural influences and the high demand for ceramics in Asia during this period.

In the early 2000s, this kendi travelled to Paris, London, Sydney, Canberra and Fremantle as part of the Lost for 500 Years – Sunken Treasures of Brunei Darussalam international exhibition.