This medicine bottle is hand carved in buffalo bone and wood and comes from the island of Sumba in Indonesia. It is made with a human figure in honor of the Marapu, (ancestral spirits) who some Sumbanese believe live among us in symbolic objects. The human face is an invitation for the Marapu to move inside the bottle. 

Marapu is an animistic/ancestral religion practiced in some parts of Sumba. The Marapu are believed to be the occupants of the eternal heaven, living in couples and leading a similar existence to men. One of these couples are believed to be the ancestor of the Sumbanese.

The bottle comes complete with a black metal stand and its story printed out for you inside a beautiful envelope. The bottles have different motifs engraved on the bone, traditional to the area. Being handmade each piece is slightly different with natural imperfections. The bottles have different motifs like you can see in the photo and unless you'd like to select a specific one we will send you one of these beautiful options. The price is for 1 bottle.

Dimensions: 28 x 6 x 6 cm with the metal support