Beauty on Wings

Butterflies vie with hummingbirds for the sweet floral nectar in Peruvian gardens, rainforests and jungles. The Andean country has more kinds of butterflies than any other place in the world, with more than 1,000 species in the Tambopata National Reserve. Working in an ancient art they learned from their father, the Canto Sisters depict birds, butterflies and blossoms on a dried gourd, harvested from the yerba mate plant. It is dried and painted before the images are meticulously engraved by hand and given a protective coat of wax.

Cultivated on the Peruvian coast for 6,000 years, mate gourds were decorated with images of birds and fish by the pre-Inca Moche and Chimu peoples. But it was the Inca who went on to use the gourds as cups and bowls, in ceremonial objects and in musical instruments.

Because each unique piece is handcrafted from a natural gourd, please expect slight variations in shape, size and motifs.