since the beginning of recorded history man has used the gourd in many ways. gourds are "Nature's Pottery" and one of the first plants cultivated throughout the world since prehistoric times. pyrography, honors another ancient art form first used by primitive man with the end of a charred tree branch. the use of fire in and of itself is an offering and that's how Burnt Offerings got its name. we burn our images into our surfaces, we torch our metals, we kiln-fire our enamel and bake the clay that we use as faces and embellishments. Fire plays and important part in most of our processes. gourds have played a significant role in the origin myths of many cultures and are believed to possess sacred and mystical powers. they were functional, decorative, exchanged as money and dowry payments and were used in both ritual and divination. many have been excavated intact and have survived the ravages of time. with each vessel we create, we hope to touch that part of the Soul that universally connects us all. while most of the pieces in this gallery have found new homes, we wanted to share the strong impact that they have had on us and societies as a whole because we truly believe they were a special gift to Humanity since the very beginning of civilization.