Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c10.9237

c10.9237

MARTABAN, s. This name was given to vessels of a peculiar pottery, of very large size, and glazed, which were famous all over the East for many centuries, and were exported from Martaban. They were sometimes called *Pegu jars*, and under that name specimens were shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851. We have not been able to obtain recent information on the subject of this manufacture. The word appears to be now obsolete in India, except as a colloquial term in Telegu. [The word is certainly not obsolete in Upper India: "The *mar-taban*' (Plate ii. fig. 10) is a small deep jar with an elongated body, which is used by Hindus and Muhammadans to keep pickles and acid articles" (Halli-fax, Mono. of Punjab Pottery, p. 9). In the endeavour to supply a Hindi derivation it has been derived from *im-rita-bān*, 'the holder of the water of immortality.' In the Arabian Nights the word appears in the form *bartaman*, and is used for a crock in which gold is buried. (*Burton*, xi. 26). Mr. Bell saw some large earthenware jars at Malé, some about 2 feet high, called *rumba*; others larger and barrel-shaped, called *mātabān*. (*Pyrard*, Hak. Soc. i. 259.) For the modern manufacture, see *Scott, Gazetteer of Upper Burma*, 1900, Pt. i. vol. ii. 399 *seq.*