CRANE-SHAPED GOURD

his perfectly balanced, graceful crane is made of a lacquered gourd with reed-thin legs carved of wood. Early leaders of the Mexican popular arts movement treasured this piece, which was first shown at the 1930 Mexican Arts exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Gourds have been used by artisans throughout history to create water vessels, bowls, hats, rattles, and decorative objects. The gourd is dried and smoothed before the lacquer is applied. The base coat, usually made with chia seed oil, is covered by powdered dolomite and then burnished. Afterwards the ground pigments are applied and also burnished to a brilliant sheen. Burnishing a gourd is extremely difficult because of its curved surface.