Mermaid Cabochon Carving from Bone

It's amazing how much motion can be conveyed in such a small scale: this mermaid's hair is caught in the ocean's current, her tail reaches toward her head, and her arms are outstretched: all captured in circular form. Hand carved from bone in the village of Tampaksiring, Bali.

All of our bone products are carved from cow bone, or in Bali known as water buffalo. In Indonesia, as in other tropical lands, the water buffalo is critical to farmers: it provides milk, it is a "living tractor” that plows rice paddies, and is prized by families. When a water buffalo dies, no part of it is wasted: in addition to providing beef to the family, the bones are cured and then carved by talented craft artists. The delicacy of this work reflects difficult hand skills that are passed from generation to generation. 

Approximately 1.5" Diameter