Large urn with decorative elephant heads

This tall brown-glazed urn has an elaborate three-tiered mouthrim and decorative elephant heads applied to the shoulder. The dramatic tapering form with a narrow base adds to the impressiveness of this piece. The wheel-turned appearance of the mouth and footrims is typical of this type of wares, which was probably made for ritual use. Large Khmer wares such as this, were probably made by coiling. Excavations show that brown glazed wares were produced by the late tenth century. Khmer ceramics are noted for their simplicity in design. Decoration was used in moderation thus allowing for the beauty of the forms to stand out.

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