Exotic tropical flowers and foliage are hand-painted on these natural gourds by Peruvian artisans. They begin by painting the surface of the gourd with a pastel color such as sky blue, peach pink, or creamy white and then accent it with red flowers and green leaves .... it is enough to take you all the way to a tropical forest rich with exquisite colors, sublime smells, and the beauty of nature.

Gourd Carving is a traditional craft of the high Andean Mountains of Peru. Each gourd is skinned, cleaned, and sun-dried before artisans paint the gourd to create the beautiful art that adorns its surface.

• Medium measures approximately 4-1/4” high x 4-3/4” diameter
• Choose from: Blue, Brown, Green, Pink, or White

Gourds are a natural and uniquely shaped vegetable, similar to a pumpkin or a squash. As such, designs and dimensions may vary slightly. Handmade and hand-painted in Peru and fair trade imported.

Peruvian artisans have practiced the art of gourd-carving for more than 4,500 years, transforming a simple squash into intricately designed bowls, boxes, windchimes, birdhouses, purses, vases and other bits of home decor. The twin villages of Cochas Grande and Cochas Chico, where our artisans Raquel and Esperanza live, work and run gourd-carving workshops to create local jobs, are the center of this ancient art.

Over the centuries, artisans have found unique ways to craft gourd decor, including scratching, fine-line hatching, pyroengraving and carving. Naturally, the details and designs have changed, but contemporary artisans remain inspired by Peru's rich traditions.

The Process of Gourd Carving

After the gourds are harvested, the artisan removes the outer green skin with a dull knife to expose the lighter brown color underneath. This will become his/her canvas. The gourds are cleaned and dried in the hot Peruvian sun.

After drying, the artisan draws his/her initial design in pencil, then uses a carving tool to remove small pieces of gourd, creating a 3-dimensional version of the original design. Next, the artisan burns the pattern with a glowing ember, usually a feather-shaped piece of Quinual wood that's been heated over a fire, to establish contrast between the carvings and the gourd. The artisan can vary the intensity of the heat by blowing on the ember; the harder the artist blows, the darker the burn.

Having obtained the color, the artisan washes the gourd to remove
the pencil marks and polishes the finished piece with a natural wax. Sometimes, the artisan applies an oil/charcoal mixture to the gourd's carved surface. The dye adheres any part of the gourd where the outer skin has been removed, yet wipes clean from the gourd's smooth surfaces. This is why some carved gourds have a black background
.