Container

Gourds that grew in the rain forest were a natural source of containers so Amerindian peoples cultivated them specially. They split them in two to use them as drinking cups or for storage. Some they decorated with etched or painted patterns. Archaeologists and Anthropologists believe that others decorated with plant designs may have stored hallucinatory plants used by Shamans and other members of the communities.

This particular gourd has ‘British Guiana’ etched on it – this means that it was made during the time of the British occupation of Guyana. Guyana was the only country in South America that was later colonized by the British (after changing hands from the Dutch). It is the only English speaking country in the continent and has more in common with the Caribbean Antillean cultures than it does with the predominantly Spanish and Portuguese speaking parts of the continent.

This gourd container may have been carved for British tourists or colonial officers as a memento.