Glazed ceramic. Khmer, 11th to 12th cent.
Unusual form with completely dropped "stupa" on the lid. Many-tiered foot with unglazed bottom. The vessel body is bulbous and smooth; three circulating bands are first attached after the shoulder and display a finely incised pattern, imbedded between ridges. The stepped lid carries a similar design, on the bottom - astonishingly - glazed and arched downward! The pointy tip on the top, is crafted independantly (broken on the base and shows grey-black sherds). This cover definitely points to symbolism of the Mountain Meru. On this mythological, giant mountain is a multi-leveled large stupa, here depicted by the contrasting steeple. Weathering of the brown glaze due to age, some earth inside.
HEIGHT 22,3 CM, DM 15,9 CM
From the collection of a German art dealer (Frankfurt on the Main)