Tutsi Ceremonial Calabash Rwanda African Art

Description

Title
Tutsi Ceremonial Calabash Rwanda African Art
Type of Object
Container
Country of Origin
Rwanda
People
Tutsi
Materials
Gourd
Approximate Age
20th century
Height (in)
10
Width (in)
6
Depth (in)
2
Other Dimensions
Height: 10 Inches
Width: 6 Inches
Overall Condition
Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.   Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.  We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.  Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.
Damage/Repair
minor stains, dirt, torn stitches.
These Exquisite Tutsi gourds are INCREDIBLY RARE.  The lid is handwoven...no two gourds or lids are alike.  We are proud to be able to offer this gorgeous piece.
Elizabeth Bennett
Additional Information:
This calabash is also called the bottle gourd, and in addition to other names it is also the oldest known cultivated plant. Although technically a vegetable, it can be used to trace human migration because it has been carried to just about every part of the world by people using it like a bottle. This piece was crafted by the Tutsi people of Rwanda. More a social class than a tribal group, the Tutsi have been called an aristocracy composed of landowners, military leaders, chiefs and priests. Being Tutsi means you’re at the top of the social heap with all the fitting accouterments, including decorated gourds meant to hold palm wine. You can appreciate this piece by thinking Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945 with the emphasis on the bottle rather than the wine. Like its western counterpart, it had a reputation and real as well as symbolic value.
**129125**
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