PARROTS ON GOURD CARVING

The carving of these parrots shows exceptional artistry. The artist has maintained perspective among the group of parrots, and effectively combined realism and abstraction. The technique is to scrape away the outer layer of the hard fruit to reveal the lighter color underneath. The "gourd" is actually a calabash, widely used in Amazonian handicrafts (see calabash, for a similar piece see carved calabash).