Gourd Art

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                      Gourd Art

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Gourd art involves creating works art of using hard shell gourds as an art of the medium.
Typically, a harvested gourd is left to dry over a period of months before the woody surface is suitable for decorating.
In recent years, Internet technology has considerably broadened exposure to the art form which in turn has helped generate a marked increase in the number of participants.

History of Gourd Arts

The American Gourd Society was founded in Massachusetts in 1937, but until recently Gourd Art was a relatively unknown art form, used primarily for primitive folk art, crafts, and birdhouses. 

A gourd is the hollow, dried shell of a vine fruit in the Cucurbitaceae plant family, similar to a cucumber or pumpkin. There are 2 main “types” of gourds, ornamental and hard-shelled.  Soft-shelled, ornamental gourds are the type you see in the fall season and are generally used for temporary decorations.  Hardshell gourds, once dried can last forever and are essentially softwood. There are dozens of varieties of hard-shell gourds and their varying sizes and shapes have provided man with a multitude of functional, decorative, and spiritual uses, such as containers and utensils, boat floats, masks, musical instruments, jewelry, dolls, and more.

Gourds are believed to be the earliest plant domesticated by man. Genetic testing has shown that gourds originated in Asia, but were eventually grown throughout Africa, Polynesia, and the Americas.  It is speculated that they made their way to America carried across the Bering Strait and by floating on ocean currents.

Which country follows the gourd art most?

Gourd decoration, including pyrography, is an ancient tradition in Africa and Asia as well as among the indigenous peoples of the Americas.



-Harsh Kumar

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