This ancient wooden pestle is a farming and household tool used by the Angami Naga tribe of Nagaland, India. It is made out of a single piece of wood and has the primary use of husking rice, which has been a very important step in traditional food processing for all Naga tribes. The long handle attaches to the body of the pestle at almost a right angle. One end is the pounding surface, while the opposite end curves sharply and meets the handle. The ergonomic structure is so that one can apply maximum downward force with minimal effort. That is why it's very useful while pounding rice in wooden or stone mortars.
Its use is primarily restricted to women for post-harvest activities. This wooden pestle forms a part of the traditional Angami kitchen. It showcases all the strength and practicality of design on this tool as it used quite common among the Angami people on consuming locally available materials and their naturally agrarian lifestyle. The Angami Naga tribe, which mostly inhabits the Kohima district of Nagaland, is very much famous for its sustainable agricultural practices especially Jhum cultivation. Such tools as this pestle are not only useful in their daily life but also represent the cultural identity of the tribe as well as their self-sufficient mode of living.