What is a Gourd?
A member of the 'Cucurbitacaea' family (which includes pumpkins and squash), it is a tendril bearing vine grown in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world. Planted in spring, the vine produces fruit by autumn. The fruit is edible when young and is similar to summer squash in colour and flavour.

Gourds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. 'Lagenaria Siceraria' is the hard-shell variety which should be left to dry until the vine dies. When dried, the gourds turn brown and are light in weight. The entire cycle, from seed to dry gourd, can take 12 months or more.

The gourd, one of nature's greatest gifts to mankind, was one of the first cultivated plants in warmer regions throughout the world. Man utilised gourds even before baskets and pottery. Many varied and unusual applications were found for this plant, from storage containers to musical instruments. They played an essential role in almost every culture in warmer regions.

Sadly, in our modern world gourds are no longer valued and unfortunately, are rarely seen as works of art. It is with this in mind, that the artist has both grown and finished these gourds as functional and/or decorative items. Handled with care, these gourds should last for many years.

They are sealed and the natural textures, markings and blemishes have been preserved where possible. A gourd creates a link with ancient times and ancient cultures. They are very much a part of our heritage. Unless otherwise specified, these gourds are not designed to hold liquids.