Vintage Large 34" Hand Painted Gourd Fish Folk Art Sculpture Raffia For Sale

Striking and unusual large-scale folk art fish sculpture created from asingle naturally curved dried hard-shell/bottle gourd, measuring approximately34 inches long (gourd only). The raffia tail is 18 inches long.

The artist cleverly used the gourd's dramatic natural U-shaped curve to create the body and form of the fish. The elongated gourd appears consistent with a long-fruited form ofhard-shell/bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), although the exact variety is unknown.

The entire fish has been individually hand painted in a bold, colorful geometric design. The primary turquoise body is accented withred, light blue, orange, black, white and yellow, including a particularly striking oversized painted eye.

The decorative pattern continues around the curved body, andboth sides of the fish are painted, making this an impressive piece when displayed from either direction.

At the narrow tail/stem end, the artist incorporated what appears to benatural raffia or a similar dried plant fiber, wrapped around and extending from the end of the gourd. This appears to be part of the artist's original design and adds additional texture and movement to the fish. The artist also drilled a tiny hole near the tail end of the fish to put a clear fishing line through so this piece can be hung on the wall for display.

Watch the video to hear the gourd seeds inside moving around when shaken.

• Approximately34" long
• Made from asingle natural dried hard-shell/bottle gourd
• Unusually long, naturally curved U-shaped form
• Hand painted onboth sides
• Turquoise body with multicolor geometric decoration
• Large stylized painted eyes
• Raffia or similar natural plant-fiber embellishment at tail/stem
• Handmade folk/studio art
• Artist/maker unknown
• Unsigned — no artist signature or maker's mark found
• Exact age and geographic origin unknown
• Acquired from an estate collection

This is a pre-owned piece showing age and wear.

There isscattered paint loss/chipping, surface wear, scuffs and abrasionsin various areas of the painted body. The natural fiber/raffia at the tail also shows wear and age. Please review the photographs carefully for the locations and extent of the paint loss.

Because this is an actual dried gourd, the surface has natural irregularities, variations and imperfections inherent to the material.

The piece hasnot been repainted or cosmetically restored, and the original painted surface and natural-fiber embellishment have been left as found.

Please examine all photographs closely, as they are considered an important part of the condition description.

At approximately34 inches long, this is an unusually large and visually impressive example of painted gourd art. The artist appears to have selected the naturally curved elongated gourd specifically to take advantage of its unusual shape when creating the fish.

It would make a wonderful statement piece for afolk art, gourd art, studio craft, eclectic art, natural-material art or whimsical animal collection, or as distinctive wall/display décor.

Please note:The piece is unsigned, and the artist, exact age and geographic origin are unknown. No attribution to a particular artist, Native American maker, tribe or other cultural group is being made.