Decorated Gourd

Calabashes were first decorated for use of the priest (Orisa). In recent years, they have served only decorative functions.

Wall hanging

The serpent represents the river spirit, Oshun.

In Oya, the calabashes are dried, stained with colour and then the designs are carved with a knife, leaving the negative spaces in the natural gourd colour.

Hemisphere or half a calabash gourd decorated on the outer surface with a painted and carved relief design of a large undulating serpent starting with the head above a small semi-circle hole near the rim and ending with the tail at the same point. Within the undulations, there are six birds and one lizard(?). Geometric pattern around rim, around a 2 cm hole in the centre, and around hole near the edge. All designs are blue.