The Phopo drinking cup was handcrafted by the Bhutia tribe in Sikkim. This cup is made of wood and is circular in form with a flat base, giving it its standing rights. The vessel has an appropriate surface finish that displays the aesthetic sense of the Bhutia people-an exterior painted in vivid red with a contrasting black interior.
Traditionally, these cups were used to drink butter tea, local liquors, or herbal concoctions perhaps in company or during ritual ceremonies. The Bhutia community in the eastern Himalayan belt is known for intricate woodcraft and for utilitarian objects endowed with cultural and symbolic value. The color combinations red and black are meaningful in Tibetan-Buddhist-influenced Bhutia traditions where color itself usually connotes protection and vitality. This cup, now in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, shows the craftsmanship of the Bhutia tribe and their deep interrelationship with nature, spirituality, and functional art. It is a treasured artifact through which the tribal heritage and the aspects of their traditional living will be appreciated and preserved.