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African Calabash

Exterior

Interior

Collection: African Art Collection
Description: Naturally brown calabash with intricate geometrical designs carved and died black on the exterior. The inside has an abstract image of an ear of corn and several small plants which may indicate this calabash was used for food. The calabash is in excellent condition.
General Note: GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP: West Africa. The calabash is an indispensable part of African culture. In African society it is used for storing and serving food and as a marker of wealth and power when used to proffer water, milk, and cola nuts. It also serves as a money box for market vendors. It can be carved and incorporated into several musical instruments. The African calabash is a gourd common throughout West Africa and has been used for hundreds of years.
Artists/Makers: Unknown West Africa Read Biography

Unknown

GEOGRAPHY / CULTURE GROUP: West Africa. The calabash is an indispensable part of African culture. In African society it is used for storing and serving food and as a marker of wealth and power when used to proffer water, milk, and cola nuts. It also serves as a money box for market vendors. It can be carved and incorporated into several musical instruments. The African calabash is a gourd common throughout West Africa and has been used for hundreds of years.
Student Work: No
Culture: Unknown
Geography: West Africa
Medium: Calabash gourd and black pigment for the designs
Classification: Other
Accession Number: 2022.01.086
Accession Date: May 2022
Donated By: Reginald and Celeste Hodges
Donation Date: May 2022