Calabash Gourd 04
This hand-carved gourd is part of our special collection which took 8 years to curate. It is made from the calabash tree and originates from the Maasai people of Kenya. This vessel would have been used to store milk, honey and beer as well as for initiation ceremonies.
The gourds are made using calabashes which have beautiful natural shapes. The calabashes are cut from their vines and dried for several weeks before being hollowed, washed and sterilised with embers from the wild olive tree. Shorter, fatter calabash gourds are created by planting them closer to the ground and longer, thinner shaped gourds are grown higher up on the vine. Final decorations of each gourd depend on the community and their maker with some having unique carving details and others being adorned with beaded leather straps.
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