An herbal inhaler is a form of aromatherapy: dried botanical herbs infused with essential oils, held inside a container small enough to disappear into a pocket. Open it, hold it close, and breathe in through the nose. The effect is immediate: a cooling sensation, clearer breathing, a subtle shift in mood. What an aromatherapy inhaler does in five seconds: it shifts your focus before the mind has a chance to negotiate.

An ancient knowledge

The herbal inhaler is not a new idea. An Egyptian papyrus dating to 1554 BC describes placing herbs onto heated stones and inhaling the vapor through a reed. Ancient Indian physicians prescribed similar practices as far back as 600 BC. Hippocrates used a pot, a lid, and a reed. The vessel changed across centuries and cultures; the interaction stayed the same.

The Herbal Inhaler as a Modern Ritual

Across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and much of Southeast Asia, herbal inhalers remain a fixture of everyday wellness: kept in pockets, on desks, and in the cup holders of taxis. Office workers reach for them between meetings. Travelers use them to clear their sinuses on flights. At music festivals across the region, they've long been part of the ritual of a long night: a natural way to stay present when everything around you is loud.

Every civilization arrived at the same conclusion, independently. Breathe something that grew in the ground, and the body responds. It always has.

And with that thinking, we created AN ORI in New York: the first aromatherapy inhaler designed as an object worth keeping.