11/09/2026
Artifact and Exhibit Series
For November’s artifact of the month, please enjoy this beautiful, decorative gourd bowl, currently exhibited in the Mexican American exhibit of the Museum's Multi-Cultural Gallery.
This gourd bowl with a handle is highly carved with the raised areas done in black, while the carved away places are brown in color. The bottom has a point rather than a flat surface, so the bowl sits on its side. This might be either as a design choice or was sometimes done to reflect bowls and urns made for an uneven floor that find their own balance point.
The highly carved design means that almost the entire surface of the bowl is covered in intricate, deep, and densely packed designs. Highly carved artwork often features overlapping layers of animals, flowers, or geometric shapes. The carvings can wrap completely around the curves of the gourd, requiring the artist to seamlessly adapt their freehand patterns to an organic shape.
To view this object in person, visit the Sutter County Museum Wednesdays-Fridays from 9am-5pm and Saturdays from 12-4pm. Admission is FREE!
