Crafters flooded with orders following spirit doll trend

Many top Indonesian celebrities, such as Ivan Gunawan and Roy Kiyoshi, are starting to collect spirit dolls. In fact, spirit dolls have been around for a long time; think Luk Thep which has existed since the 19th century. A spirit doll is a doll that resembles a baby; it is given food and drink and cared for like a human baby.

According to people who adopt spirit dolls, these dolls are inhabited by the spirits of dead babies or children. These spirits are believed to need attention and affection that they did not get when they were alive.

Before going viral in Indonesia, spirit dolls were trending in Thailand. Referred to as Luk Thep which means child of an angel, Thai people believe that dolls inhabited by spirits can bring good fortune. In Thailand, the Thai Smile Airways flight crew allows spirit dolls to get on the plane.

Spirit dolls are pretty pricey. A 71-cm spirit doll is priced at $475 or equivalent to Rp6.8 million.

Apart from attracting the people of Indonesia, spirit dolls were featured on the big screen. One example is the movie “Annabelle”, which was reportedly inspired by real events. The Annabelle doll is exhibited at The Warren Museum.

Why are people interested in spirit dolls?

According to psychologist Yunike Balsa Rhapsodia (Balsa), there are several reasons why people are interested in owning a spirit doll.

“Actually, humans are creatures that tend to create emotional bonds. For example, when they were children, their parents would give them objects, such as blankets and dolls, as their objects of transition when they had to do something new. This can also happen to adults, like when entering a new environment, such as a new workplace, one will bring objects that they feel familiar with. There are things that should make them feel more comfortable," said Balsa.

Another reason is when an individual does not have the desired human relations quality.

According to Balsa, having a doll isn't always a bad thing. “Dolls can also be used for therapy, for example for a mother who wants to have children or has just lost her child. However, the therapy process is carried out under the supervision of a psychologist," she told TFR.

However, there are people who do not fully understand what a spirit doll is about. Therefore, in-depth knowledge is crucial.

“Spirit dolls become a problem when used by people who don't really understand the consequences of owning them. They also become a problem when they interfere with the owner’s social and emotional relationships with other people," said Balsa.

Spirit dolls have also drawn criticism from various sides. One of the reasons is that there is no guarantee that the spirit that resides in the doll is the spirit of a baby or a child. In addition, many said that keeping a spirit doll is religiously forbidden.

Despite the pros and cons, the spirit doll trend is bringing profit to doll crafters in Indonesia, as many people like to collect ordinary dolls without any “resident”.

Collections and hobbies

TFR talked with Maria Vesty, the woman behind Instagram account The Doll With Soul which has approximately 16,000 followers. Maria is a collector of spirit dolls, but she also loves other types of dolls, such as those made of porcelain – one of her collections is a doll made in the 1800s.

"I've always liked mystical things, also gothic styles," she said. Maria shared that she has a doll imbued with the spirit of a child.

"I do give them candy, but I don't take them for walks like other people do," she continued.

She became a doll makeup artist by accident; it started when the doll she ordered from Germany was damaged during shipment. She tried to fix the doll herself, and her effort gained the attention of doll fans in the online community.

"This is my hobby which eventually became my job," she said. Her expertise in doing dolls’ makeup attracted Furi Harun, a collector who has hundreds of spirit dolls.

Becoming a doll makeup artist takes skill and patience, because the dolls have different characteristics. According to her, the most difficult characters to do the makeup for are Indonesian characters. Maria can work on five dolls per day.

Doing makeup on a spirit doll is inseparable from horror stories, especially because she sometimes works on a doll that is imbued with a spirit.

"Sometimes I have nightmares. The dreams are different for each doll,” Maria explained. That didn't frighten her, however. She said that since she had her own spirit doll, the nightmare never returned.

Maria regretted that this trend is only focused on the supernatural stories which eventually creates many pros and cons. According to her, there are still other sides that can make people appreciate dolls.

"Actually, people can buy scary dolls that are not imbued with any spirit," she said. The tariff she sets for each doll is at least Rp3,500,000.

Vanessa Priscilla, a doll makeup artist from Probolinggo, East Java shared Maria’s opinion. Vanessa is one of the doll makeup artists who was flooded with orders when spirit dolls became a trend.

Vanessa also occasionally does makeup for Furi Harun’s spirit dolls. Before spirit dolls gained popularity, Vanessa worked on at least three dolls per month. Today, the orders she receives doubled.

“Sebenarnya pengerjaan untuk setiap boneka itu relatif, misalnya ada satu boneka yang selesai dalam lima hari, ada juga yang selesai sampai dua minggu. Karena ada juga yang sulit mencari wig-nya, atau bajunya rumit untuk dibuat,” tuturnya.

"Actually, the time it takes to work on each doll is relative. There is a doll that can be completed in five days, while some can take up to two weeks. That is because sometimes it is difficult to find the wig, or the clothes are complicated to make,” she explained.

Vanessa started her career as a doll makeup artist in 2020. She is supported by her mother who also has a hobby of collecting scary dolls like Chucky.

"Doing doll makeup is difficult, but fortunately I have a background in drawing, so I adapted quite fast," Vanessa shared her story.

"The price for each doll is different, ranging from Rp2,500,000 to Rp5,000,000," she stated.

Both Maria and Vanessa enjoy doing doll makeup which they find fun, especially because it allows them to explore art.

Hence, spirit dolls are not always focused on the supernatural side.