bowl with rounded bottom made from a gourd; orange interior, tan exterior; exterior decorated with incised half-circles, diamonds, triangles, and flower motifs

Bowl, mid 20th century

Fulani?expand_more

Calabash gourd, plant fibersexpand_more

Gift of Jim and Dixie Olmstead in memory of Charles J. Olmsteadexpand_more  2019.122.1

Not on Viewexpand_more

The fruit of the gourd, one of Africa’s earliest cultivated plants, has long been employed for purposes ranging from the obvious to the ingenious. The hollowed-out shells of gourds are used for storage or for serving food and drink. Gourds may also be used to make head coverings for babies, musical instruments, smoking pipes, or ritual regalia. This gourd was used as a container for liquids. Its exterior is embellished by pyro-engraving, which involves burning lines into the surface with a heated blade. At one point in its life cycle, the shell was cracked. An indigenous repair with plant fiber shows the value it had for its users.

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Details
Title
Bowl
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2019.122.1
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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bowl with rounded bottom made from a gourd; orange interior, tan exterior; exterior decorated with incised half-circles, diamonds, triangles, and flower motifs

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