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Gourd Sightings

22 April 2010 is when Toni Davenport watched the 1994 movie "Nell" staring Jodi Foster and Liam Nelson. 11 July 2010, I just watched it to grab the screen captures below. Here is Toni's original email description of the movie.

I was watching the movie "Nell" on demand recently and in one scene in the cabin Nell is cleaning gourds to be used as everyday implements, bowls and baskets. The movie stars Liam Nelsen who portrays the local doctor. The movie is about a wild girl found living in the hill country when her mother dies. She has never seen the world outside of her cabin in the woods and has lived a primitive life in the middle of the 20th century. Of course the media and scientific/medical community are there in force. (In the first shot Nell is cleaning gourds on the table. In the second shot Liam is walking past the table of gourds).

17 May, 2010 - Sharon Watson is on a roll. She sent me this Article from Birds & Blooms May issue about Purple Martin Gourd houses.

http://www.wagourdsociety.org/birds-bloom.pdf

8 May 2010, Sharon Watson sent a few gourd sighting from magazines. The first is from Birds and Bloom, Mar 2010, tow different bird houses. The second is from Country Living, Fairs with a gourd background.

This gourd sighting was sent to me by Sharon Watson. Sorry everyone, not being able to physically feather torture and extract the information from Sharon, I have to rely on the limited information she provided in her short cryptic email. I think Sharon is on the run from the Taliban and this is why I receive cryptic emails as she can only send out short burst communications from her mobile phone. At some unknown date, Sharon was apparently hiding from the Taliban at the San Diego Zoo and snapped a photo of two gourds hanging in an unknown bird display.

27 Jan 2010, I was watching SNL (Saturday Night Live) with Jennifer Lopez as the host. About 20 minutes in they were doing a skit about two reporters interviewing Jennifer Lopez and the female reporter took off her shirt and was wearing a gourd bra.

28 Jan 2010, Was watching the 1985 movie Year of the Dragon staring Mickey Rourke. 3/4 of the way into the movie a Chinese drug lord is making a drug deal with a corrupt Chinese soldier and there is a gourd sitting on the table and a drinking gourd hanging on the pole behind the soldier.

16 Jan 2010, I rented the AMC television series "Breaking Bad - Season 1, Disk 2, Episode 4" from Netflix. About half way into the episode the family of the show is sitting in the living room talking and I noticed a gourd sitting on the coffee table.

Gourd on the coffee table

7 Jan 2010 - I was watching Community on NBC (Thurs Nights) Episode "Home Economics" There were multiple gourds in the scene with Chevy Chase in the music room of the college.

Gourd to the right of Chevy                   Shekere just above the girl               Shekere & Marankas on the stand.

The guy in this scene knocks the Shekere off the bookshelf, onto the floor to the left of the girl.

19 Dec 2009 - I was watching the 2009 movie Funny People with Adam Sandler & Seth Rogen. There was one scene when Seth Rogen is watching the girls play a game and I noticed a very big gourd sitting in a bowl in the background.

28 Oct 2009 - Shawna Stout found this article from a 2005about the African Fashion Scene. Scores of top African designers and models held a show in Nairobi National Park at the weekend to raise money for victims of Kenya's post-election violence and show a different face to their continent. For the rest of the article click here http://www.theage.com.au/news/fashion/refashioning-kenyas-image/2008/05/27/1211654012685.html

18 Sept 2009 - Jim Martin spotted this article in the Spring 2009, Master Gardener magazine (page 48). There was a small blurb about our WSGS and they pulled information about Drying Hardshell Gourds from our questions page.

18 Sept 2009 - Sharon Watson spotted these gourds in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine for October 2009. I spotted three small gourds sitting in egg cups on a mantel by a red frame, page 32.

18 Sept 2009 - Sharon Watson spotted this gourd in a Pottery Barn magazine for September 2009. I saw a kettle gourd on a book shelf, page 109

14 July 2009 - Gloria Dittrick sent these pictures of gourd lamps hanging in a Mexican shop. From Glo's email: "Gloria's Spy Crew" vacationing in Mexico sent these to Gloria. I forgot all about them (the pictures !) I don't think I would trust a huge light bulb inside a dry gourd ... but then ... it's Mexico !! Interesting..........

10 May 2009 - Amazing Race, Season 14, In the final day of the race Tammy and Victor (the winners) were carrying a pig past a Hawaiian lady playing a gourd instrument next to the pig roasting pits.

23 Apr 2009 - Survivor, season 18, After the challenge the wining team was treated to dinner and a dance, before the dancing started the Brazilian musicians where standing in front of the survivors with some Berimbau. The berimbau is a Brazilian instrument with African roots that was later successfully incorporated into capoeira. The berimbau is a single steel stringed bow with an attached metal resonator to amplify the sound. The Berimbau is another traditional African instrument that is a commonly found in the music from Brazil and other South American countries. The Berimbau is the staple instrument of Capoeira, the famous martial arts dance. The thin striker and a caxixi are held in the right hand, while the left hand supports the bow and modulates the string with a small metal disc. The whole instrument is moved off-and-on the abdomen, opening and closing the resonant gourd, for a captivating "wah-wah" effect. 55 inches in length.

16 Mar 2009 - Dynva Todd sent this link from the Gourd Patch online group. A bit of African culture using gourds (mid-page) http://www.agra-alliance.org/section/people/farming_culture

30 Dec 2008 - I was watching FX and they were playing the 2000 movie Men of Honor with Cuba Gooding Jr.. In the beginning of the movie when Cuba is getting ready to leave Kentucky to join the navy. He is standing in front of the general store saying good bye to his parents there are numerous gourds hanging all over the front of the general store.

 

The story ultimately revolves around two "men of honor"; their relationship, their individual and joint failures and triumphs. Carl Brashear is determined to be the first African American Navy Diver in a time where racism is strife. Leslie Sunday is his embittered trainer, determined to see him fail. Fate, challenges and circumstances eventually draw these two men together in a tale of turbulence and ultimately triumph.

 

         

 

17 Dec 2008 - Patty Burke was watching the movie Apocalypto, and noticed some gourd use throughout the movie. Apocalypto(2006) Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson moves on from biblical fare to tackle the end of the Mayan civilization in this gripping action-adventure set just before Spain's conquest of Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. When an invading force threatens his peaceful existence, a courageous native risks everything to protect his way of life -- even if it means leaving his beautiful mate and unborn child behind.

One of the bad natives carrying a Bule gourd with water.

 

 

The same bad native drinking from the Bule gourd.

 

 

The plates on the chiefs armor look a lot like squares of cut gourds.

 

13 Dec 2008 - I watched the movie War Dance (2006) There were multiple uses of gourds as musical instruments in this documentary. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0912599/  Set in civil war-ravaged Northern Uganda, this Best Documentary nominee for the 2008 Oscars follows the lives of three youngsters who attend school in a refugee camp and find hope through a rich tradition of song and dance. Coming from a world in which children are abducted from their families and forced to fight in the rebel army, these kids give it their all when they travel to the capital city to take part in the prestigious Kampala Music Festival.

Children play a snake gourd that is plugged on one end, a blow hole. Different sizes make different tones when blown through.

 

Little kettle gourds that are shaken for a rattling noise.

 

One of the teachers loads all the Gourd drums for the journey to the city.

 

The boy on the left playing a half of a very large cut gourd, he was holding it with one hand and tapping it with a stick.

 

The two boys on the left shaking the small kettle gourds. The five girls on the right were all playing the snake gourds like the ones above.

 

11 Dec 2008 - I was watching The Office (Morrocan Christmas) Thursday night and they were having an office party and Andy was playing a Sitar made with two gourds (Kaddu's).

 

 

Andy with the gourd Sitar.

 

Kaddu - Kaddu is the India word for gourd. Here are some pictures of a Sitar under repair. As you can see by one picture the gourd portion of the Sitar has a huge chunk missing from the side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26 Nov 2008 - The Thanksgiving special of the NBC show Deal or No Deal decorated the set with a Thanksgiving theme. Sitting right in front of the players podium was a kettle (martin) gourd.

 

 

6 Oct 2008 - I was watching the 2008 movie The Forbidden Kingdom this weekend. Staring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Midway into the movie Jackie Chan's character is drinking from a Chinese bottle gourd, there are some more strapped to the saddle of his horse.

 

       

 

 

25 Sept 2008 - I was watching the season 17 premier of Survivor Gabon last night. In the second episode Dan got exiled to Exile Island. As Dan is walking up to the island he comes to a table that has two gourds with clues in them sitting on a table.

 

           

18 Sept 2008 - Cris Coffey from Utah sent me an email with a gourd sighting. In the 1991 movie Hook (Peter Pan), with Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts. When the Lost Boys are battling the pirates, they are all wearing very neat and big gourd helmets and shoulder pads. Take a look. Love your listing. (Most of the fight scenes are toward the end of the movie).

 

I got numerous pictures of all the Lost Boys wearing gourd armor. I have made thumbnails out of the pictures, just click on the pictures for larger views.

	Lost Boys preparing for battle.	Robin Williams in front of the Lost Boys.	Lost Boys blinding the pirates.
Good shot of the Helmut and shoulder pads.	Nice gourd hat.	Another Gourd Helmut.	Good Closeup.
Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams battling in front of the lost boys.	Nice shoulder pads	Lost boys watching the fight.	Helmut's and shoulder pads.
Lost Boys around Peter after Hook gets eaten by the large Aligator.		Good shot of all the gear.	2nd boy from the left is wearing a gourd chess plate.

 

The boy who wasn't supposed to grow up -- Peter Pan -- did just that, becoming soulless corporate lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams), whose workaholism could cost him his family. But salvation may come with a trip to see Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith) in London. There the vengeful Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps Peter's kids and, to rescue them, he must return to Neverland, where a battle with his arch-rival and a chance for redemption await.

5 Aug 2008 - Once again my co-worker Lea Bessler has spotted more gourds. I think she just likes seeing her name in print now. This time she was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy Season: 4, Episode 21: Buffy and the gang sneak into a military installation with a bag full of weapons and a magic gourd. The gourd is used to invoke the powers of the primeval First Slayer to defeat this season's "Big Bad" You can see the Colonel's discovery of the gourd at approximately 24 minutes into the episode.

 

   

 

 

The use of the "magic" gourd can be seen at approximately 34 minutes into the episode.  The gourd emits a magic light from within the gourd. You can see them sitting around the lighted gourd below.

 

5 Aug 2008 - Once again my co-worker Lea Bessler has spotted more gourds. I think she just likes seeing her name in print now. This time she was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy Season: 5, Episode 18: Intervention, The gourd is used by Buffy's watcher, Giles, in a spiritual vision quest ritual. This ritual summons a spirit guide which leads Buffy to the primitive First Slayer for enlightenment. The gourd appears approximately 9 minutes into the episode.

   

28 July 2008 - I now have non-gourding people spotting gourds for me. A girl I work with Lea Bessler, spotted a gourd in the 1986 Movie "Big Trouble in Little China" Starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall. There is a scene were one of the villains (James Hong) has a potion in a gourd with a lid, which he sits down on the bar while drinking the potion that was in the gourd.

 

 

12 June 2008 - Dynva Todd told me to watch the 2008 Movie 10,000 B.C.. Just under half way into the movie about the 46:00 minute mark, the lead characters come to a small village and are met by the village tribe.

Above: Not sure if these are large gourd bowls for food? Also just above the bowls it looked like there was a bunch of broken gourds laying on the ground, they were thin shards of something that looked like gourd pieces.

 

When the sabertooth tiger walks into the village there is a gourd laying on the ground upside down.

 

When the sabertooth tiger comes face to face there is a gourd laying in the background.

 

later they are eating and one of the men is drinking out of a small cannonball gourd.

14 June 2008 - I Was watching the AMC Channel (American Movie Classic's) and the 1960 Movie, The Magnificent Seven with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Colburn and Robert Vaughn as Lee. There are two scenes where Robert Vaughn is carrying  a Mexican Bule Gourd.

These scenes were a bit dark because it was a night shot but you can still see the Bule Gourd

26 May 2008 - I have been half asleep  after a hard day of yard work, watching my favorite dancer, Gene Kelly in the 1945 movie "Anchors Aweigh".  In one of the scenes with Kathryn Grayson and Frank Sinatra in a Mexican restaurant there is a scene during the singing that shows a string of brightly colored Martin Gourds hanging.  I'm surprised I noticed.  Patty Burke. 

Kathryn Grayson as Susan Abbot singing with more gourds hanging behind the band.

Here are more gourds that I spotted in "Anchors Aweigh" that Patty didn't mention.

Gene Kelly as Joseph Brady using the phone by the colored gourds hanging on the wall.

 

One of the band members plays a ribbed gourd with a stick in "Anchors Aweigh"

There are multiple gourds in this "Anchors Aweigh" Scene shot. 1) Gourds hanging on the wall.  2) Band member playing Maracas (gourds). 3)Another band member that was slapping this long gourd that had finger holes in it.

19 May 2008 - I was watching the period movie "Becoming Jane" with Anne Hathaway (the movie is about the life of Jane Austin) and I noticed a gourd birdhouse hanging in a tree during one of the scene's.

23 Dec. 2007, I was watching one of my favorite Christmas movies "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". I have seen this movie probably 40 times and never noticed the gourds in Clark's Griswalds office.

The scene just after the sled ride, Clark is sitting in his office dreaming about his new swimming pool. There are four gourds sitting in a large basket on the window sill.

 

4 Dec. 2007, I was watching my favorite channel last night, the Discovery Channel and Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls was on. He was in Panama with this tribe hunting and surviving. Towards the end of the show he was sitting around with some of these Panamanian tribe people.

They were pouring wine from a large basketball gourd into a smaller gourd bowl. The large gourd has either a leaf design or feathers burned into it.

 

Then Bear was drinking the wine from the gourd bowl.

 

I set my TiVo to capture any show that had the word "Gourd" in it. The other day it recorded the show Reading Rainbow on (PBS) Public Access Channel, the name of that episode was "Follow the Drinking Gourd". It told the story of the drinking gourd (if you don't know the story it's about slaves and the underground railroad). Half way through the show they had these four black women playing gourd instruments (Shekeres) and singing. These are the images that I captured.

Very large Shekere

Each woman was playing a different size Shekere

The Shekere's are sitting on the ground in front of them while they play Clave Sticks.

 

In the movie Little Miss Sunshine, when the family is standing in the kitchen there is a plain gourd sitting on the window seal.

 

16 Sept, 2008 - On the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the girl (Vicki Randle) in the band plays a gourd that is wrapped in beads (Shekere).