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SKU: 5224-1767

Painted Gourd by Robert Rivera

$300.00

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Late 20th Century

8.375" H x 8" D

Hand Carved from a Gourd and Painted Red, Black and White in a Geometric Design with Information Sheet Inside and Signed Robert Espanola New Mexico 

In Very Good Condition

Robert Rivera (1944–2024) was a New Mexico artist celebrated for pioneering the use of gourds as a contemporary fine art medium in the Southwest.A former welder at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he discovered his passion in the early 1970s after impulsively collecting gourds during a road trip. He left his job in the late 1970s due to radiation concerns and pursued art full-time.Rivera transformed ordinary gourds into intricate vessels, masks, rattles, and sculptures using etching, painting, scorching, and embellishments like turquoise, beads, feathers, and leather. His work drew heavily from Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi), Hohokam, Mimbres, Pueblo, and Navajo motifs, blending ancient inspiration with modern symbolism.Often called one of the first to elevate gourds to collectible fine art, his pieces are prized for their beauty, power, and cultural resonance. He passed away on March 3, 2024, at age 79.

Condition: Very Good

Tribe: New Mexican - Folk Art

Year Range: 1975 - 2000

Region: Southwest

Dimensions: 8.38 in8 in

Category: Pottery Bowls and Jars Post 1940

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