Vintage
South American Goard
with Masonic
Symbolism
We received a
positive ID on the above gourd from an a-mail sent in below:
"This gourd was carved in a village (san
Jeromino) outside of Huancayo, dept of Junin, in the central Andes of Peru. I
suppose it was made for tourists, but both the musical instruments and the dance
costumes depicted are quite faithful to the local customs, at least as they were
still practiced when I lived there in the late 1970s. I hope this helps.
Sincerely, Andrea Aranow"
It has a rich patina that only age can bring. The subject matter is
interesting also.
It shows figures dancing and playing musical instruments. The instruments are
very unusual, harps, pipes and stringed instruments. This might have
been a musical instrument as well because when you shake it you can hear the
dry seeds inside. I doubt that it was ever used for that because there
is no wear on the stem end that would serve as a handle.
In between these figures are the square and
compasses. It measures
10" in length.
