Cardinals are thought to be symbols of good luck, loyalty, and even love in various cultures. Charming and uniquely handmade, these vibrant cardinal gourd ornaments may become the perfect fair trade addition on your branches! This gourd bird is the result of years of collaboration between our designers and gourd artist Ana Maria Hurtado and her team in Lima, Peru. Details come assorted and may vary. Price is for One. (Sold in 6s)

Peruvian Gourd Tradition

A humble fruit becomes a canvas for storytelling.

For thousands of years, Peruvians have transformed gourds into useful and expressive objects, using them to store food, make music, celebrate life’s moments, and tell stories.

In the Andean village of Cochas, in Peru’s Mantaro Valley, this tradition is still very much alive. Artists use the dried shell of the mate, or gourd, as a natural 3D canvas, carving intricate designs with a fine tool called buril. Their motifs are often inspired by nature, daily life, celebrations, and imagination.

Each gourd is shaped by nature and finished by hand, becoming an ornament, box, or keepsake with a character and story all its own.

Why Fair Trade Matters

For our team at Lucuma Designs, Fair Trade is more than a business model. It's a way of life that guides our daily decisions and inspires us to keep learning and evolving.

It lives in the relationships we've built over many years with the artist partners we know personally. Together, we've grown through trust and a shared commitment to building sustainable livelihoods and a better future for their families and communities.

Fair Trade is about much more than creating jobs. Through creative collaboration and by encouraging our artist partners to continually refine their craft and excel at what they do, we've built handmade collections our clients have come to trust year after year.

Ultimately, Fair Trade reminds us that business can be a force for good when it's guided by shared values and meaningful connections.

Lucuma Designs has been a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation since 1999.