Sometimes they were covered with the cowrie shells that were used formerly as money. The women also sold some gourds they had decorated. Groups of women sat together to do the decorating just as American women gather for Aid Societies. The patterns of the decorations vary with each woman and with the passing times. Gourds have become the focus of the reputation of each woman.
Gourds grow like pumpkins but are smooth skinned.
Skill is required in growing, curing, drying, cutting and hollowing out the gourd according to the intended purpose. Some gourds are quite small and of different shapes and uses. . These have been used over the years for serving sauces over the corn mush in the individual gourds. When I worked in my Better Babies Clinic I needed a good substitute for baby bottles, because of dogs and flies. They worked perfectly.