This is a small bamboo tube vessel that is a traditional item for making and using the Nagas of Nagaland. This vessel is crafted very artistically using some portion of bamboo where one end is naturally closed by a node—the common occurrence in bamboo craft helps to create a closed base, which serves as the bottom of this container. The upper part of the vessel is adorned by intricately plaited cane adding beauty and structural reinforcement.
Base of the vessel is flat, and round, allowing it to stand upright. These kinds of vessels were normally used for keeping small amounts of liquids such as herbal oils, local brews, or powders that sometimes find their use during ritualistic or medicinal contexts. Aside from being beautiful, the function of the cane also reflects how resourceful the Naga people are with the use of materials found in their hilly, forest lands.
These vessels are a representation of the beautifying instincts of the Naga tribe when they take to their traditional patterns in routine use
"Naga Crafts and Culture" – Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya