Gourd for Coffee Berries

Label

This gourd holds harvested coffee berries. Its narrow neck suggests that farmers inserted individual berries into the gourd to keep them safe within its bulbous center. On its brim, a woven latch attaches to an individual’s waist, leaving the hands free to collect. Although coffee berries have little relevance to the production of coffee, Eastern African cultures use the fruit to make antioxidizing teas and herbal juices. This gourd draws attention to the production processes involved in coffee.

From the 2024 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 118, Coffee and Tea in Art: A Brew of Cultural Symbolism, Solace, and Introspection, curated by Jeffrey Liu '24, Class of 1954 Intern

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 118, Coffee and Tea in Art: A Brew of Cultural Symbolism, Solace, and Introspection, Jeffrey Liu '24, Class of 1954 Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, May 11 - July 7, 2024

Provenance

Museum and Art Gallery Reading, England; sold to present collection, 1939.

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