African wooden bottle

[gerspee]

Own this for many years now and would like to find out where it's been made and when and maybe what to ask if I put on auction on-line . Has little woodworm holes in it . Size is height 8 inches .  It's very light in weight and very thin .

thanks

[KevinB]

Thats actually not wood its a hollowed out gourd. I think my wife has something like yours. I know she has a mask that was made out of a gourd.

[mart]

It is a gourd as Kevin said !!  The neck is where it would have been attached to the vine !! Even here they are popular items for artists to carve and paint !!  I raise a few gourds each year !!

[KC]

Yepper a gourd.  They have been used in so many countries for art and function.  I have gourds from trips to Brazil that they used and still use for Yerba tea.

They were used for hundreds of years to hold liquids and or dry goods.  Used in ceremonies.

Need to see a better pic of the detail of the carving.

Must also agree that they have been used for Folk Art and Arts and Crafts all over.

[gerspee]

Thank you for the responses and will try to make more detailed pictures soon .

[jondar]

Amazing how these items can be constructed from lowly gourds.  I've wondered for years how the constructor could get down inside these and clean them out  Attached is a picture of a present I received from a friend of mine in El Salvador.  The entrance/exit hole in the top is only around 5/8" in diameter.  That must be a mind numbing process to use whatever tool they used to go down inside and clean these out. Or is there a quicker way to do it?