"Oyah" means "pot", and the fir'oyah is (literally) the "Rain-Jar", where water is stored. Two kinds exist, for different purposes; one is used for the long-term storage of water, and the other, as pictured, for the keeping and dispensing of drinking water for daily use in a camp or city setting.
Made of thick but unglazed earthenware, this fir'oyah is rounded and well-balanced, even when hanging at a tilt as shown here. The precious water seeps very slowly from the interior of the jar to the exterior, where it evaporates; this cools the water slightly. Needless to say, no great amount of water can be stored this way at one time! For all purposes other than drinking, water must be fetched from a well, or from some other form of storage.
The beautiful decoration shown on the outside of the fir'oyah is actually a heavy cloth covering, akin to burlap, which insulates the jar and aids the evaporative cooling of the water. Not shown in detail is the plug for the mouth of the jar, which is always in place save when water is being poured, and which is tethered to the neck of the pot by a string.
The low height of this fir'oyah from the ground as well as the angle at which it is cradled make it easy to fill one's canteen, or a child's cup. Note that save when it is taken down to be lowered down the Well and refilled, it is not necessary to pick up the oyah to pour from it. This reduces the chances of breakage, as well as ensuring that the jar will stay in one safe place. The finely-decorated tripod is stable and adjustable for a variety of placements on sloping ground. Even an earthquake is unlikely to spill the rain from this vessel!
In more private settings, fir'oyah'al may be hung higher (especially if it is assumed that only Irekei of one's own virakt will be drinking from it, in which case their mouths may be placed directly on the lip of the jar), or, rarely, set in the corner of a secure area on the ground. Regardless, fir'oyah'al are always kept in the shade! The one pictured is sheltered, for instance, under one of the outer awnings of a tent.
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