This "Cicada Spirit" is made out of a block of red, rare mangrove hardwood from the mahogany family, namely the “Nyireh Batu” (Xylocarpus moluccensis). Nyireh Batu is superior to others because of its smooth texture and dark colour. This sculpture is 100% handmade using simple tools like chisels only. Some splits or cracks are just the nature of wood. This sculpture may have some nature crack lines which have been fixed by the carver.  

Over the past 300 years, Mah Meri has expressed its beliefs and culture through sculptures carved out of wood. These sculptures are the characters or ancestors from folk stories and the spiritual practices of their daily lives. Strongly animistic, the Mah Meri regards these carvings as a means of communing with the spirits they believe exist in nature.  

Mah Meri spiritual wood carving is truly world class in the quality of its craft and artistry. Many of their carvings have been awarded the SEAL of Excellence by UNESCO. The beauty of the carvings lies not only in the graceful curves of nyireh batu grains or the sheen of the wood, but also in its simple, yet highly sophisticated design and its cultural significance to the Mah Meri tribe.