In Peru, decorated gourds predate pottery. The Jamtown gourd is from a climbing ivy plant that grows abundantly in the warm valleys of the Andes, along the coastal oases and in the jungle regions. After the gourd is dried, washed and sanded, the artisans carve designs with a simple sharp knife, or Ôburin.Õ Sections of the surface are burned with a heated piece of eucalyptus wood to create decorative browns and blacks. Scrapers make a friendly croaking sound that all other sounds like to dance around. From washboards to bamboo, scrapers pop up all over the world. In Mexico, they play "Fanta" pop bottles with silverware, because of the ridges in the glass.
How to Play: Create a sharp tearing sound by dragging a stick in a fast or slow motion across the ridges. The slow stroke, with authority, sounds like a frog. When the double pronged stick breaks, and it probably will, itÕs time for Chinese food. A simple chopstick makes an excellent scraper.
In Peru, decorated gourds predate pottery. The Jamtown gourd is from a climbing ivy plant that grows abundantly in the warm valleys of the Andes, along the coastal oases and in the jungle regions. After the gourd is dried, washed and sanded, the artisans carve designs with a simple sharp knife, or Ôburin.Õ Sections of the surface are burned with a heated piece of eucalyptus wood to create decorative browns and blacks. Scrapers make a friendly croaking sound that all other sounds like to dance around. From washboards to bamboo, scrapers pop up all over the world. In Mexico, they play "Fanta" pop bottles with silverware, because of the ridges in the glass.