~ GOURDS ~


Welcome to my gourds page!

Gourds are one of natures neatest babies! :) Here is the low down on gourds. They grow on a vine, and come from the family of plants Cucurbitaceae, which includes pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, melons, and ornamental gourds. Hardshell gourds are from the plant Lagenaria siceraria, and come in MANY shapes and sizes.

Gourd plants.


These are gourd seedlings. Bottle gourd, Baruvian bottle gourd, and small kettle.



Ipu heke I made for Betty Hickman

This is an Ipu heke which is the Hawai'ian double gourd drum. It is struck on a mat that is on the ground to produce the boom sound, and then slapped on the side or on the rim to produce the higher pitched pak sound. It was given to Betty Hickman as a gift :)



Ipu heke I made for myself

This is my own Ipu heke and this one broke, after falling off of my desk. I have made another that looks exactly like this, except the bottom doesn't have any blemishes like this one. I play my second one with conviction (like I am ever gonna join a hula group!)

D/L HERE
Here is a downloadable .wav file of me making my own mele (Hawai'ian chant) NOTE! This is made up and not for real.




Left view.

This is the left view

Front view.

This is the front view.

Right view.

This is the right view.



How to weave the rim featured on this gourd. A tutorial.



These are left, front, and right side views of the gourd that was made for my patchpal (NO, not nicotine patch, THE GOURDPATCH! just click here to go to the info page on the email list) Virginia Saunders, in exchange for the coveted Patchpals Gourd T-Shirt. :) I used dried Pandanus Leaves for the woven rim, the twisted handles, the rose, the bird, and the snake, wrapped around the handle! Hint hint, I didn't have a woodburner when I made this, so I borrowed my dads soldering iron. ;) It looks ok. I sewed the shells on, and oiled the outside of the gourd with coconut oil. Here is what all of this is supposed to mean. The reason for only ONE bird, is that the rarity of the birds now on Guam. This is due to the brown tree snake (hence the snake coiled around the handles.) that was accidentally imported to Guam, on a cargo ship or plane. The rose represents the beautiful people on the patch, and especially the gracious Virginia, who in all her generosity vouched to by me a shirt in exchange for my gourd. Now on to the shells. The shells are supposed to represent, that even though you live somewhere that gets cold during winter and warm during summer, you will always have a piece of tropical paradise. The shells. Now on to the burnt part of the gourd. The football type object represents the slingstone. This is a stone that was carved by Chamorros (the native peoples of Guam) into this shape, and used as a hunting device, and a weapon of war. It was put into a sling (that used coir rope, coconut husk fiber rope) and slung above the head, then released, it flew (back then) at velocities fast enough to penetrate trees, and for wartime, kill. The stickman type object is a pictograph that was found in Chief Gadao's (Gaw-dows) cave. It is a painted pictograph of a man, maybe himself. The two shapes that are above the words "Gaigue" and "Guini" are called lattle stones. These are two piece stone pillars that ONLY the Chamorros made to support their huts. The two piece pillar was explained by scientists today as being superb for earthquakes, and the cap fit over the base like a cup covering another cup. There were normally, three rows of two, like this Front -} ::: {- Back. And then the cross beams go left to right over there, and then front to back on top of those three pieces, then the hut was built on this. Now on to that phrase in a FOREIGN language ;) This phrase "Gaigue ha' guini" is in my native tongue which means "It is here!"... :) Hope this is a good enough explanation for this one piece!


Mat view. Perla view.


This is the gourd that I am currently working on for my two friends Mat & Perla. These were drawn my Mat, and I burned them in. I used my dads soldering gun. There are there names, Mat, and Perla, and hibisicus' all around, and waves too. :)


Cricket cage.


This is a cricket cage that I made for one of my friends from the states. :) I hope (s)he doesn't get out of the cage. ;)



This is a mini basket I made from a mini gourd.


This is a minature gourd basket that I made with a mini bottle gourd. It is laced on top with dried pandanus leaves.



all da gourds on da left all da gourds on the right This Golden Gourd Web Ring site is owned by
James Bamba.

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Links! :
Kasin Hunters Pages :
Kasin's Keep (main web site)
Art From My Heart
Gourd Art Gallery
Golden Gourd Web Ring
Email Kasin Hunter
 Mikes Gourd Farm :
Mikes Gourd Farm Site 1 (updated)
Mikes Gourd Farm Site 2
Email Mike
Melody's Gourd Garden :
Go there now!
Email Melody 		The Gourd Village Garden Club of Cary, NC :
Go there now!
Email the President Mary Ann Rood
Gourds By Jeanie :
Visit Jeanie
Email Jeanie 		Nancy Hardesty :
Visit her page now.
Email Nancy
THE GOURDPATCH!
GourdPatch Exchange sites :
Click here
Click here for Exchange #2
Don't forget to visit Betty's Gift page:
Click here
Let's talk gourds forum :
Click here 		PK Creations Web site :
This site has stuff that deal with carved
emu/rhea/ostrich eggs, gourds, emu claws,
and much more. :) Visit here if you like
good stuff.
PK Creations
eMail Corrine Power She puts the "P" in PK! :)


Questions or comments? Email me

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This page created 04/05/99 and was last UPDATED! on 04/29/99