Description

These are two hand carved gourds made in Peru. The art of gourd carving has been practiced in Peru for more than 4,000 years, with artisans using gourds, or mates burilados, to tell both communal and personal stories. The dried gourds have a hard shell and you can hear the seeds inside if they are shaken. The skillfully detailed carvings show stories of village life in small scenes and elaborate geometric and floral designs. The designs are not painted on the gourd, but rather etched and burnt, in a process similar to wood burning.