Continuing the Peruvian Art of Gourd Carving
Peruvian gourd carving finds new life as two sisters follow their father’s traditional techniques with new designs. Learn how this technique is different from ours.
The art of Peruvian gourd carving has been practiced for more than 4,000 years, with artisans using gourds, or mates burilados.
Today the residents of Huancayo, Peru, are carrying on that ancient storytelling heritage because of the work of one special family.
Keeping the Peruvian gourd carving legacy alive
The Canto sisters, Katya and Blanca, learned the art from their father who was taught by his mother. As a family, they shared their talent by teaching others in the village. Consequently, the village is now famous for their gourd art. The craft of intricate carving is practiced by 50 families in the region.
Peruvian gourd carving has always reflected the culture
Peruvian gourds tell stories of cultural events, you can see stories ranging from celebrations, folklore, myths, and tragedies—to displays of everyday life. However, carved gourds incorporate more than just visual storytelling as the textural qualities of the gourd offer a new perspective to understanding the story itself. Now that their father has passed, they have begun to put more topical imagery in this visual storytelling tradition.
Making Peruvian gourds the traditional way
At this point let’s take a closer look at how these gourds are made traditionally. First, the gourds are brought to Cochas from traveling merchants who sell them to families in the village. Often gathering together, the artists skin, clean, and sand the gourds. Then, they carry them home to be stored in a barn or other dry place. Finally, the gourd carvers pick a gourd and begin three-dimensional designs often sitting outline in the sunlight.
The traditional Peruvian gourd carving technique begins with a pencil
After the design is lightly sketched, a small engraving tool is used to carve each design by hand. Only with practice, will they master a steady line and avoid jabbing their fingers!
To create the brown and orange shades they use a technique, called quemado, Holding a glowing ember of eucalyptus wood, he gently blows heat onto a figure, turning a dress the size of your pinky nail to subtle oranges and browns.
Once carved, animal fat is rubbed over the gourd.
Their father in the video at the end of the post demonstrates the process called fondo negro which creates the black backgrounds on the carved gourds.
Then watch as he uses burned straw ash to smeared onto the carved gourd to highlight the designs.
The excess mixture is then washed off to reveal the end product.
Now the daughters take on the challenge!
The sisters, who were greatly influenced by their father, Ponciano, see great value in continuing his craft. Katya Canto recalls the excitement she felt as seeing her father’s work.
“When I was 8-years-old, I saw that the crafts of my father [were] always sold to Lima, I wanted to create my own gourds to sell.”
The girls and the community are taking their father’s love and respect for the Peruvian gourd art form in a new direction.
This change has brought a new vital economy to their village. The work includes new things and gourd done in the traditional way.
“Storytelling is important, to show our traditions and teach lessons. “When I carve scenes I’m passionate about, it becomes a work of art.”
The sisters have started to extend the craft into personal narratives. They often carve some of their own experiences and fascinations into the relief.
Many pieces can take over a year to make. The one on the right, Blanca is carving the life history of her grandfather. It has been in process for months.
I can give expression to all of the knowledge that I have so that it doesn’t get lost,” Katya Canto says.
“Now grown, we have pinned our hopes on our art, on its history. We are determined to make it work. Both of us left our safe jobs. All of our efforts are directed into exalting our family’s name by sharing our knowledge through our art of engraving mate gourds.
We do it because we love it and because, through this art, we pay tribute to our family and our people. Peruvian gourds are still respected throughout the world.
“Each mate gourd carries a part of our soul and our heart. “
In fact, the girls have added new colors to their work. Turning to the beautiful nature around their village to inspire our young ones to appreciate where they live.
“We tell them that, as long as we have stories to tell, our art will never die.”
The Village has taken their work to the public and avid gourd lovers
More recently the girls have started hosting art festivals. Hundreds of tourists and gourd art lovers come for to a weekend of dancing, eating, and of course, buying Peruvian gourds
This video which is subtitled will give you a flavor of the village as the father talks about his village, his family and the importance of his gourds to the community.
To conclude, you can see that they are getting ideas from both their past and their present.
What elements are in your environment can you celebrate in your work? Is your cultural history reflected in any of your work? Try exploring these new paths on your next gourd.
Please, share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
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hello great article!!
I visited Cochas in Huancayo – Peru, so can say that the principal incomes of the most people that live in this town come from gourd carving, almost all people there have as prinicipal activity carve gourds. So I encourage continue buying this art because os this way we are supporting the Cochas town.