The earthen clay pot, resembling a miniature pitcher, and fitting as a decorative item, is traditional Khampti pottery. The Khampti are a Tai-speaking tribal community to which most, if not all, are settled and dispersed mainly in the eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, India. This one, which is found in Assam, demonstrates the technical ability of the community when creating practical but culturally rooted domestic items. The pot is made out of locally available clay and molded by hand into a small pitcher form. Notably, a ridge encircles the middle portion, which separates the pot into upper and lower portions and adds to its aesthetic balance and grip function. The bottom is flat and circular for placing the pot on stable grounds when in use or storage.
Traditionally for water, herbal concoctions, or offerings, this pot throws a bit of light on the very intimate relationship that the community has with nature and the spirituality it carries. Made of clay that is often sun-dried and low-fired, this technique retains the porous texture, making it suitable for cooling water naturally—an indigenous understanding of eco-friendly design. Pottery among the Khampti is not utilitarian but often symbolic in terms of ritual purity and ancestry. Techniques used to produce pottery are passed down from generation to generation to retain one's identity through practical everyday objects.