The pot is a traditional cooking pot of the Phom Naga tribe of Nagaland, known for its unique yet functional approaches to pottery. Made of baked clay, the pot emphasizes the tribe's harmony with the use of natural resources and everyday functionality.
With a broad circular rim above a constricted neck that widens at the base into an oval, this is highly stable and eminently applicable when cooking on an open flame. The incised lineal designs on the body of this pot hold aesthetic and cultural value, often depicting tribal motifs or ancestral tales handed down through the generations. These fine motifs are carved before firing, very much like any carving art, referring to the artistic identity of the tribe and its inheritance.
Phom pottery has been traditionally used in community kitchens and households, due to its heat-retaining properties perfect for maintaining low-cooking heat to improve flavor. It also provides a wide base for cooking efficiency, while helping keep the chances of spillage down, for extra benefit in a community environment.