Andean Hummingbird

Small and quick, hummingbirds dart from flower to flower, seeking sweet nectar. The Peruvian Andes are home to more than a hundred species of the tiny creatures. Celebrating their country's natural splendor, the Canto Sisters depict hummingbirds 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.