OWP
Hand-Painted Gourd & Ceramic Cow Ornament
Hand-Painted Gourd & Ceramic Cow Ornament
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This unique hand-carved gourd cow ornament makes both a great gift at the holiday time of the year and is a wonderful home accent year-round. This gourd ornament is a 3 dimensional Lady Bug w/ ceramic accents hang them on your tree, in the window, or set on a mantel these ornaments are a beautiful way to help provide for artisans and their families.
Gourds are a natural and uniquely shaped vegetable, similar to a pumpkin or squash. As such, designs, shapes, and dimensions will vary slightly.
- Height measures approximately 2-3/4"
- The diameter measures approximately 2-1/2"
These ornaments are hand-carved in Peru and Fair Trade imported.
Peruvian artisans have practiced the art of gourd-carving for more than 4,500 years, transforming a simple squash into intricately designed bowls, boxes, windchimes, birdhouses, purses, vases, and other bits of home decor. The twin villages of Cochas Grande and Cochas Chico, where our artisans Raquel and Esperanza live, work, and run gourd-carving workshops to create local jobs, are the center of this ancient art.
Over the centuries, artisans have found unique ways to craft gourd decor, including scratching, fine-line hatching, pyro engraving, and carving. Naturally, the details and designs have changed, but contemporary artisans remain inspired by Peru's rich traditions.
Please read our extended description below by clicking on "About the Artisans" for more information on how these wonderful eco-friendly items are made, and for more information on the talented artists who make them.Â
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Ceramica Quinua, an artisan cooperative known for its social and environmental responsibility, offers steady work to six workshops and 36 families in Ayachucho, Peru. Ceramica Quinua is dedicated to decreasing the use of firewood to reduce deforestation, and as such, works primarily with clay, which is extracted from the land in a controlled manner to avoid erosion.
The artisans shape and fire their pieces in home-based workshops during their nine-hour workday. Children often sit in on the workshops during their free time in so they may learn the trade that's been passed from ancestor to ancestor. The organization also takes pride in offering health care for its craftsmen, and for sharing its environmental knowledge and conservation techniques with students at public schools.
The Quinua district is characterized by the eucalyptus and alder-scented atmosphere of its mountain and forest landscapes. The name Quinua is derived from the Qenwal plant, said to be comparable in beauty only to the Quinuin women. The unique flora and fauna that inhabit the territory are fast becoming a major tourist attraction. Unfortunately, deforestation and pollution from paint chemicals are threatening their existence.
