These two pieces of redwood, from the Nagaland tribe of the Chang Naga, are traditional tools that have been used for lighting fires since ancient times. Though each piece is irregular in shape, it has a practical purpose in the day-to-day life of the Chang Nagas, primarily for the lighting or sustaining of fire, which is in itself an essential matter of household or community survival. The redwood is pretty resinous and catches fire easily; thus, it would have served well for this purpose. Generally, these pieces are used in conjunction with flint stones or some friction plane of fire-starting methods. The user struck or rubbed the redwood to generate sparks and glowing embers for kindling a fire quickly, especially during the monsoon season when dry kindling was difficult to obtain.
For Chang Nagas, fire was more than warmth; it was also essential for cooking, rituals, craftsmanship, and community gatherings. The use of redwood pieces is testimony to the tribe's in-depth knowledge of natural resources and their capability to adapt materials to fit important functions. These pieces, whereas simple-looking, are embedded in indigenous technologies and sustainable practices of the tribe. And such working objects are often lost to sight but constitute the backbone of traditional life within the hilly terrain of Nagaland, where sustenance from forest and natural surroundings bore a dual identity of utilitarian and sacred.