Sbatmi

Sbatmi are Malayan amulets made from the seeds of the oil palm.

Appearance

It looks like a black pearl in its finished state. Accessories made of it are usually coated with a thin layer of gel due to its slightly acidic nature. Necklaces are the most common use of sbatmi as accessories.

Preparation

Shamanic healers (called 'bomoh' or 'tok pawang' in Malay) will identify the single sbatmi from a cluster of oil palm fruit and laboriously prepare it for rituals. The oil palm seeds are polished and then rinsed in holy water.