This artifact represents a traditional pair of gourd bottles used by the Liangmai Naga of Nagaland. These bottles are naturally fashioned out of matured gourds that have been hollowed out and dried, in order to provide light and functional coverings. Their design bears a narrow neck which limits the pouring or storing of fluids, including water, rice beer, or herbal medicines.
The bottoms of the bottles are oval in shape, varying in their size so that one has a broader base for stability while the other has a narrower base which is perhaps tied or hung. Gourds have controversially made such simple functional objects, thus adding environmentally sustainable practices to the repertoire of the Naga tribes and demonstrating the ingenuity with which they utilize the resources available in nature.