Carol Twombly

My gourd pieces are interpretations of a traditional African percussion/shaker instrument called a "shekere." Often shekeres use white kite string with plastic beads on unfinished gourds; some even use fiberglass "gourds." My shekeres, however, are made using only natural gourds, most with leather-dyed or acrylic-painted skins, interiors, and details. They use fine-guage black or hand-dyed polyester cord knotted into a net with natural-material beads, primarily wood, bone, glass, and horn. Consequently, these are more "art pieces" than instruments, so please treat them gently and keep them out of direct sunlight.