What Are Gourds Anyway?
"Diving for the perfect gourd!"
Gourd Humor
Fine Gourdisrty H and Crafted in Mesa, AZ
Copyright © 2010 Gourdgeous
Arts
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Gourds have been around for thousands of years and are originally traced to the African continent. They are now found throughout the world and are still used in many cultures as containers for liquids, grains and other possessions.
It is thought that the first pottery makers shaped their vessels after gourds. The gourd is even mentioned in the Bible and has been found in Egyptian Tombs.
Because gourds come in so many shapes and sizes, they were, and still are used for spoons, bowls, ladles, musical instruments and containers.
Hard shell gourds dry on the vine in the fields (they can weigh 100 lbs. when green and dry to 1/10 their size, 10 lbs.) and when harvested, are moldy and quite ugly looking.
After bringing home and when cleaned, which involves soaking, scrubbing, and cutting, then cleaning the inside of pulp and seeds, there are many hours involved to get them (gourds) into shape for carving, burning, dying, painting and embellishing.
When you touch your first gourd, you will now know the love and care that went into making your one of a kind, unique gourd art that is very special indeed.
