The elongated bowl made of tortoise shell with a handle on each side was used by chiefs for the presentation of food and in ceremonies. However, tortoise shell plates were mainly passed on as so-called "women's money" in the course of exchange obligations at important ceremonies (e.g. marriage, birth, burial). Those made today are still traded between clans along with US dollars. For tortoise shell plates, tortoise shell was heated in a cauldron and thus softened, and then molded in a double-sided wooden mold (choderochel). After cooling and hardening, the edge is sawn into shape and the shell is sanded and polished.
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