This wooden board, which is inscribed with rather rough carving of hornbills, is made as a traditional object of the Chang Naga of Nagaland, India. They use this as decorative element in their Morung, which is the communal bachelor's dormitory for the village as well as its cultural center, and very deeply reflects their attitude toward nature and ancestral traditions. Hornbill appears in Naga iconography where it signifies not only valor, but prosperity and some spiritual connection. To Chang Nagas, hornbill carvings are often symbolic in the Morung architecture because they symbolize the pride of the tribe and the achievement of men. On this piece of wood, two hornbill heads face each other, and here is a very striking detail: one beak is just a little longer than the other, and both have tips that curve in a gentle manner, evidencing the detail observed and also an understanding of natural form by the carver.
The board is carved out of a single piece of hardwood with a rough finish, indicating traditional tools and techniques were used. As such, rough and unattractive it may seem in the mass of most objects, it displays, through bold and expressive carvings, its dual capacities-as ornament and as significance within the Morung structure. This wooden board is more than an architectural element, and it takes cultural meaning-a picture of community values, knowledge of generations, and tribal identity-with it. This board carries with it the artistic heritage of the Chang Naga as well as continuing ties to the hornbill as a sacred symbol.