This wooden plate is fastened with the uniquely projecting spout and is an ancient invention of the Khiamniungan Naga tribe of Nagaland, India. This plate is entirely carved from a single piece of wood and serves to illustrate perfectly the innovation of the Khiamniungan transforming nature's gifts into practical and great tools for everyday and ceremonial use. A most interesting feature about this plate is that in the most targeted and easy pouring or dripping of soups and other liquid dishes. Such pouring or dripping into these plates would be very useful in fees, as Naga kitchens are rich with their offerings of stocks and stews. This star-shaped wooden plate has at the bottom and at the end of the handle a small rectangular hole, which possibly serves double purposes: to hang the plate when not in use or perhaps to introduce a cord for carrying.
The finish has a fine polish, hinting that it was perhaps reserved for special, if not semi-ceremonial, occasions and not for mundane ''rough' work. Since the object is functional yet elegant, it is likely that it sees much activity during community dining or other larger traditional feasts. Handmade with hand tools and with locally available hardwoods, such wooden plates are also taken as a reflection of the Khiamniungan emphasis on utility and sustainability with uncluttered design. Customarily, they are heirloom objects passed from generation to generation, mostly produced within the family, maintaining traditional knowledge and competencies intimately tied to the cultural identification of the tribe.