Page 140 - Index Pottery of Dvaravati Period - Professor Emerita Dr.Phasook Indrawooth

Summary | 125

B.C. Ancient Indians probably copied the Mesopotamian prototypes and developed

their own. In a comparative study of the spouted vessels found from Mesopotamia
and India we find the following differences:- Spouts found from Mesopotamian sites

are beak like, they are thicker at the base and taper at the top and they are luted

obliguely in between the neck and the shoulder. Whereas the spouts found from
Indian sites are cylindrical and they are luted either on or below the shoulder, they

occur both on long necked jars as well as on flared mouth vessles. Artistically,
Mesopotamian spouts are neater than the Indian spouts which are crude and give

pretty dull appearance.

Indian spouted vessels included pots, bowls, basins and cups. Spouted pots
were used for ritualistic purpose by the Brahmins and ascetics for offering libations to

the divine beings while spouted bowls, basins, and cups may have been used as house
hold utensils in daily life.

In Thailand this type has been found from various Dvaravati sites in central,

northeastern and southern parts.
As for the second type, sprinkler, this type of pottery (pls.รูปที่ 46, fig.ลายเส้นที่

16 10 no.9) was introduced to India by the Roman traders who were settled down on

the western coast of India during 200 B.C. - 100 A.D. as the flagon of wine held by a
foreigner lady, as depicted on the ceiling of Ajanta Cave no.1. This type of vessel

became popular specially among the Buddhist community for many sherds have been
found from the accumatated debris of cisterns attached to western Indian caves like

Pitalkhora, Kanheri, Karle, Junner etc., also found from the Mahayana Chaitya Caves

(Ajanta Cave no.26) and from other Buddhist sites in western India like Devanimori etc.
Most of them were usually made from the well levigated clay with polished red

surface.
However, these sprinklers are found in a small number in Thailand. Only few

specimens have been reported from Inburi, Singburi Province, and from Chansen,

Nakhon Sawan Province, and from Chaiya, Surat Thani Province.
It should be noted that spouted vessels, both the flared mouth pots and

sprinklers have been reported from various archaeological sites in Southeast Asia e.g.

Beikthano in Burma, Óc Eo in Vietnam, Sombor in Cambodia and other ancient sites in
Malay Peninsula and in Indonesia.

ศาสตราจารย์เกียรติคุณ ดร.ผาสุข อินทราวุธ