Container Item Number: 3512/34 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Ostrich egg water holder with a hole drilled into the top. Incised geometric, animal and floral motifs throughout; incisions are filled in black. Wide borders, with arrow motifs through their centres, circle top and bottom of egg. Identical bands run down sides, connecting the borders, and dividing the front and back of the container. Antelope designs on front and back; both are depicted in profile. The antelope on the front is leaping forward; animal on back has its head bent and is standing next to a small tree. 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.