Gourds

"One must first praise the farmer for a job well done, before asking him for a yam" -African proverb-

The four images below show close-up pictures of a typical gourd. Please scroll down for the full listing of each available piece.

The gourd is made from a fleshy, trailing plant, much like a pumpkin. After the inside has been scraped out, the shell is left to dry in the sun and used as a storage container. As each gourd has different coloring, motifs and natural shape, each are shown separately from various angles.

Each motif is first delicately and painstakingly carved from the outer shell, and then painted. Considering the fragility of the shell, these are fine artistic pieces.