Naga Offering / Food Bowl

A smooth, dark bowl on a waist, like a goblet that never heard of glass.

Naga makers of Nagaland, Northeast India, carved this wooden offering or food bowl in the early 20th century. Stemmed bowls are often associated with feasts and with offerings of food. Here the wide dish flows into a narrow, tapering stem and then a flared foot with a single triangular opening. The wood is nearly black at the base and softens to amber-brown toward the rim, where the surface shows wear from use and a small nick.

About 9 by 10 inches. Graceful, unfussy, and happy next to anything.