Vintage Lacquer Gourd, c. 1960
Temalacatzingo, Guerrero, Mexico
natural gourd, pigment, lacquer
10” high x 9.5” diameter
The spectacular lacquer gourds from Temalacatzingo, Guerrero, have been called the “Faberge Eggs of Mexico.” The artists are experts at cultivating gourds. They save seeds, and they know which seeds produce which shapes and sizes. Each family owns a piece of land outside of town where they cultivate the gourds the will decorate.
First they have to allow the gourds to dry out for several months. Then, the artists cut the top off the gourd in a pleasing pattern, using a tiny, saw tooth blade held with a cloth handle. This step is so important that a separate prize is awarded for the most clean and unusual or intricate cut. Next, they empty the dried seeds and sand the surface, both inside and out, to a smooth shine.
Now the artists apply chia oil, which they have obtained by crushing chia seeds. It is this chia oil that gives their work its distinctive sheen. Then, with a circular hand motion, they work in mineral powders, which have been finely ground in their own workshop and are usually impregnated with color that is derived from natural seeds, stones, plants, flowers, or earth. Now, they burnish that mix with a smooth pyrite stone to a uniform sheen. These stages of chia oil, mineral powders, and burnishing, they repeat over and over. The more layers, the greater the translucency, depth of color, and soft jewel-like quality that results. They apply these layers both inside and out.
Now they are ready for whatever design they want to paint onto the surface, using the lacquers and pigments they have created, applying them with fine, handmade brushes. Designs vary from flowers and birds to geometric patterns, some derived from traditional “greko” shapes that are found in the ruins of Mitla.
