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Calabash in focus on volcanic Montserrat (cont'd)
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Calabash exhibition
The calabash exhibition was a high point of the week’s activities, and also served as the official opening of the Festival. Here one could see calabashes of all shapes and sizes from Montserrat, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and (via Guadeloupe) from West Africa.
Crafts people had carved, painted or varnished these calabashes to create a host of imaginative or traditional items. These included musical instruments, ornaments, decorations, cups and bowls, handbags, jewelry, “shak -shak” or maracas, doll puppets, a mask, African religious symbols and even a baby bath.
The exhibition was held at the Montserrat National Trust, a forty year old non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the past, protecting the present and enriching the future. Director of the Trust Lady Eudora Fergus said, “We are delighted to have this exhibition here at the Trust. The calabash is a traditional item which forms part of our history, and the exhibits show the versatility of our Caribbean craftsmen, both now and in the past”.
Collectors Aubert and Sonny Tancons of Guadeloupe provided calabash exhibits from French speaking West Africa. These included musical instruments like water drums, shak-shak, balaphone and kora (a guitar-like instrument), as well as many ceremonial and practical items. “We have so many West African calabash items, it was impossible to bring them all”, said Mme Tancons, who is a tour guide in Guadeloupe.
The Trust was also home to another current exhibition, originally set up for St Patrick’s week celebrations in March. This exhibit features a life-sized, old-time Wowla House, made from wood with a thatched roof, depicting the homes of ordinary people in the past, together with traditional household objects. The calabash exhibition was set up next to this exhibit, and the two themes fitted very well together, as several visitors pointed out
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Calabash in focus on volcanic Montserrat (cont'd)
Page: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
Calabash exhibition
The calabash exhibition was a high point of the week’s activities, and also served as the official opening of the Festival. Here one could see calabashes of all shapes and sizes from Montserrat, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and (via Guadeloupe) from West Africa.
Crafts people had carved, painted or varnished these calabashes to create a host of imaginative or traditional items. These included musical instruments, ornaments, decorations, cups and bowls, handbags, jewelry, “shak -shak” or maracas, doll puppets, a mask, African religious symbols and even a baby bath.
The exhibition was held at the Montserrat National Trust, a forty year old non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the past, protecting the present and enriching the future. Director of the Trust Lady Eudora Fergus said, “We are delighted to have this exhibition here at the Trust. The calabash is a traditional item which forms part of our history, and the exhibits show the versatility of our Caribbean craftsmen, both now and in the past”.
Collectors Aubert and Sonny Tancons of Guadeloupe provided calabash exhibits from French speaking West Africa. These included musical instruments like water drums, shak-shak, balaphone and kora (a guitar-like instrument), as well as many ceremonial and practical items. “We have so many West African calabash items, it was impossible to bring them all”, said Mme Tancons, who is a tour guide in Guadeloupe.
The Trust was also home to another current exhibition, originally set up for St Patrick’s week celebrations in March. This exhibit features a life-sized, old-time Wowla House, made from wood with a thatched roof, depicting the homes of ordinary people in the past, together with traditional household objects. The calabash exhibition was set up next to this exhibit, and the two themes fitted very well together, as several visitors pointed out
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