Terracotta Butterfly Garden Ornament/Garden Tag

Add charm to your holiday tree with these beautiful butterfly Christmas ornaments. Each gourd has been hand-carved and naturally colored with fire by artists of the Andes of Peru following techniques that date over 4,000 years.

Ornaments average 2.5″- 3″ tall and details will vary as nature and the artist intended. Arrives in a gift box with informational card.

.FAIR TRADE: Through artistic collaboration, superb craftsmanship, sustainable design and amazing teamwork, Lucuma Designs collections spread beauty and cheer to consumers and artists alike! With Fair Trade you help change the world for the better, one gift at a time! By helping to spread their art, you empower the Peruvian Artists to improve their lives, invest in their kid’s education and gain a stronger voice within their communities.

ABOUT THE PROCESS: Gourds are vegetables related to pumpkins, squash and cucumbers, and they grow in a variety of shapes and sizes. This allows gourd artists to create a range of decorative ornaments, boxes or birdhouses. After harvest the process starts by selecting and green-scraping each gourd using a dull knife to shed the outer green skin. The gourds then dry naturally in the sun of the coastal desert. Next, the artist creatively draws the design with a pencil adapting to the shape. A skillful carver then carefully etches the fine lines with a simple hand chisel. Using a technique called pyrography, fire adds the rich shades of browns and blacks. Sometimes after the carving and burning, a white paste is applied and washed off to highlight the intricate carvings. Gourd boxes will be cut open and the inside scraped clean of seeds and fibers and then painted. Finally the outside is waxed and polished, presenting you with a one-of-a-kind piece to treasure for generations!