Container Item Number: 3512/32 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Ostrich egg water holder with a hole drilled into the side. Incised animal motifs throughout; incisions are filled in black. On the left and back sides, two lions are depicted fighting one another. On the front, an antelope with spiraled horns is shown walking, with its face turned outward. On the right side, there are a four-legged animal and wildebeest(?) running. The animal is incised upside down, underneath the opening; the wildebeest is along the bottom edge. Base is undecorated.
Khoisan would drill a small hole into ostrich eggs and eat the raw egg. They would then fill the containers with water, using a plant stem, and bury them for future use while hunting or moving to seasonal camps. Added leather straps would allow them to be carried on belts or in hunting kits. Markings were used to show ownership.