A Gift of Harmony and Unity

This finely carved gourd ornament is more than a seasonal accent, it’s a meaningful symbol of peace and cross-cultural beauty. A delicate dove is hand-carved among folk-style florals inspired by traditional Andean embroidery. One side reads “peace”, the other “paz” a tender reminder that peace transcends all cultures or nationalities.

Created as a Lucuma Designs exclusive in collaboration with Peruvian master artists Lizzet and Rodolfo, this ornament blends high craftsmanship with heartfelt symbolism. Available in rich hues of fuchsia or purple. 

Ideal for thoughtful gifting, spiritual occasions, holiday, wedding, memorial, or year-round decor.

Artisan-made in Peru. Fair Trade. Size and carving details will vary slightly. Price is per ornament.

An Ancient Craft

A living tradition more than 4,000 years in the making.

Long before gourds became Christmas ornaments and keepsakes, Peruvians were carving and decorating them for both practical and symbolic purposes. 

Archaeological evidence from Huaca Prieta on Peru’s northern coast shows gourds used as bowls, bottles, dippers, fishing floats, and other everyday objects as early as the third millennium BCE. Some fragments were also carved and decorated with pyroengraving, showing that gourds had already become a surface for artistic expression. 

Other archaeological discoveries reveal their deeper symbolic significance. A carved and painted gourd fragment dating to about 2250 BCE depicts the Staff God, one of the earliest known representations of a major Andean deity.

Remarkably, closely related techniques continue to this day. Artists still carve dried gourds by hand and use heat to darken and shade the surface, carrying forward an ancient Peruvian tradition with roots reaching back thousands of years.

Sources: American Museum of Natural History archaeological research at Huaca Prieta, published 1949; archaeological research on early Andean decorated gourds; Peru Ministry of Culture documentation on mate burilado, 2013.

Good for the Planet. Good for Everyone.

With love for Mother Earth and all beings who depend on her, Lucuma Designs commits at least 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations working to restore ecosystems, support Indigenous communities, and protect natural habitats.

Each year, we select nonprofit partners through the 1% for the Planet network whose work supports causes close to our hearts. Our giving often helps advance food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture, reforestation, solar energy, Indigenous rights, water access, habitat protection, and other environmental initiatives.

Our giving is certified annually through 1% for the Planet, so every Lucuma purchase helps support organizations working toward a healthier, more beautiful world.

Learn more about how you can join at OnePercentForThePlanet.org.