Manipur is home to a rich and important pottery trade. Its ceramic artisans hold a key place in Manipuri culture. Manipurans have depended on this crafts for use in ritual and in everyday life for longer than living memory. Yet the forces of globalization have brought new, cheap and efficient plastic products to Manipur from Burma and other foreign markets. This new supply threatens not only the livelihood but the continuance of Manipur’s traditional pottery trade.