Myrrh Gum Resin

Reddish-brown lumps of raw myrrh, the bitter gum resin of Commiphora myrrha trees native to the Horn of Africa, wild-harvested rather than plantation-grown. Unheated, it smells faintly medicinal and sharp; set to a coal, it turns warm, balsamic, and slightly sweet, the transformation that has made it prized for so long. It is the eternal companion of frankincense, and its opposite in mood — heavier, darker, more somber. Myrrh was burned in funerary rites and temple offerings across the ancient Near East, and the Egyptians prized it above nearly every other resin as an embalming material, valuing its scent for solemn rather than celebratory occasions. Folklore has paired it with frankincense as smoke for the graver hours ever since, one resin balancing the other. Burn a small lump on a lit charcoal disc, alone for a deep and somber smoke or blended with frankincense for something more complex. A little goes further than the size of the lump suggests. Sold as a curiosity — no medical or scientific claims are made. Ours is wild-harvested in Somaliland by hand, in lumps of natural, uneven size and color rather than graded or reconstituted, so texture and shade will vary somewhat from batch to batch.