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Bowl made from a hollowed out gourd.
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Cultural Objects, Tools

McNeil Gourd Bowl

People
Associated Person: Lydia Smith McNeil
Associated Person: Florence Aldridge McNeil
Date
Unknown
Places
Locust Grove (Locust Grove District)
Material/Medium

Gourd

Specifications
  • Height: 9 inches
  • Circumference: 37 inches
Description

Still in good condition, this bowl or storage container is made from an unvarnished gourd. The bowl’s opening was formed by cutting a circle around the stem end.  There appears to be newsprint stuck to the bottom which may indicate it was used in a damp location such as a root cellar or springhouse.

Keywords
Gourd bowl
Bio Sketch

This gourd bowl was one of several preserved in a McNeil family homeplace and believed to have been used either by Florence Aldridge McNeil (1878-1967) or by her mother-in-law Lydia Smith McNeil (1827-1883). In 2009 it was purchased at auction after the death of Florence McNeil’s son Johnny McNeil.