Pablo Hurtado and his gourd carving family live in the tiny village of Cochas Chicas, located near Huancayo in the central highlands east of Lima, Peru. We knocked on Pablo’s door on our first trip to the area to ask for directions and found that we had stumbled on one of the area’s most noted gourd carvers. He invited us in and asked if we would like to see his work. That work turned out to be superior to any we had previously seen. We soon became good friends and frequent customers.

Pablo told us that the ancient art of gourd carving has been a part of his family for many years. He learned from his parents as did they from his grandparents. The art form, which dates back over 2000 years is continued by Pablo and many of his neighbors living in or near Huancayo. It is usually a family business. Gourds carved by Pablo’s pre-Columbian ancestors have been found remarkably preserved in excavations throughout the Andes.

The gourds, squash like plants, grow in all shapes and sizes in the north and south coastal areas of Peru. The shape determines the design that the artisan will use for each gourd. The gourds are thoroughly dried before decorating by hand. The several techniques used to decorate the gourds are described on Pablo’s artisan market page. Gourds like Pablo’s Story Gourd below are so finely carved that they are better viewed using a magnifying glass. He notes that, “... each piece is unique” they are designed to help people “... understand the authentic work of village life.”

 

 

This piece provides an excellent example of Pablo’s elegant carving technique. The scores of finely carved people, animals, tools and buildings portray the everyday activities of Andean community life.