Bulul figures represent a rice god or guardian spirit although some are believed to house the spirits of ancestors. Bulul were closely associated with the ritualistic aspects of rice production, from planting, to the safekeeping of the harvest in rice granaries. They were usually made in pairs, a male and a female, but there are some which were made as individuals. During rituals, the bulul figures were positioned in front of the newly harvested rice, with the male on the right and female on the left. They were frequently daubed in chicken blood, which was thought to activate and revitalise the spirit contained in the figure, and which explains their often thick and heavy patination.
