Gourd-Ladybug medium box

4" high by 4.5" wide.  The process starts by carefully selecting hand-scraping and drying the gourds in the sun.  Then artists sketch and hand-carve the intricate designs.  Using a burning tool, they naturally add the rich shades of browns and blacks.  Story telling or illustrative gourd carving has a long history in Peru.  From long ago, gourd carvers have been serving their communities by recording their Andean traditions , myths, and even weddings.  Archaeologists in Peru recently discovered a deity figure on a gourd carved over 4,000 years ago!  Today, Peruvian master gourd carvers proudly keep improving their art and creating new possibilities as they transform these natural gourds into contemporary art pieces.  The originality, imagination and respect for nature displayed in each original gourd piece offers you a glimpse into Peru's rich cultural heritage.