As with Gourd, Bone and Buffalo this style of Lime Powder container is a very specific art practised by only a few carvers. The wood used is almost always Red Cedarwood or Teak. As always, the creators of these amazing containers add their signature to the wood, carving effigies and motifs that represent their totemic guardian spirit or ancestor figure.

The precision with which they are created using the simplest of tools has to be seen to be appreciated, always the carving dances perfectly around the tube of wood and each represents hours of work.

The motifs are in the family so to speak and like the textiles of Timor they are repeated with a slight variation in each piece created making every one unique.
Copyright Julie Emery 22/02/2022©