by Nelson Montana
The wooden dough bowl has always played a significant part in the lives of the Tarahumara Indian people. In the mountainous region of Northern Mexico, the Tarahumara people have primitive lifestyles and live in rustic dwellings. They make handcrafts, like wooden dough bowls, to support themselves economically. I have always loved the unique baskets, weavings, jewelry and other hand-made items produced by this Tribe. It is fascinating that although the women are primarily in charge of making the handcrafts, the Tarahumara men like working with wood and make incredible pieces of art using crude instruments and tools. Along with wooden dough bowls, they also make wooden spoons, figurines and traditional game balls used in tribal foot races. These wooden handcrafts have a rustic beauty, uniquely enhanced by the characteristics of the wood.
You will also find it fascinating how the wood dough bowls are crafted. The making of the wooden bowl is started by hand carving a piece of pine wood taken from a fallen tree trunk. American Indian log bowls are made by cutting the trunk in half and then roughly chopping it with an axe. The wood is then fashioned into a bowl shape with a machete or large knife, giving it that appealing, rough and primitive look. This classic style is the same way that antique dough bowls have been crafted throughout the Sierra Madre for many years.
As you read about these fascinating Indian people, you will find that the wooden dough bowl plays an important role in the Tarahumara household. It is used in the process of hand-grinding corn and wheat to make hand-made tortillas, an important part of the Tarahumara diet. They then begin by crushing the kernels into a stone bowl called a metate. The dough bowl is used to catch the flour at one end of the metate as it is ground. Water is then combined with the flour in the bowl and hand-made tortillas are made from the mix. Although still used by the Tarahumara people for making tortillas and cooking, today dough bowls are offered to the public for Native style home decorating and as Indian art for collection.
You will enjoy using dough bowls for a number of things. They work wonderfully as collectibles, fruit bowls, and when combined with home decorating items. They are also good for art projects when a blank canvas is needed for western style paintings and other Native American style art. Dough bowls, painted with scenes of the southwest, are very popular and are a great way to add western style in your interior design. A painted dough bowl makes a wonderful focal point for any Native style room, cabin, lodge or ranch style home by adding the rich warm colors characteristic of southwestern artwork.
You can buy wooden dough bowls online and in many stores that sell southwestern and American Indian style home decor accessories. It is easy to create genuine Native style in your home, or to give your room an authentic rustic look by including a rustic, painted dough bowl along with your decor. If you like the timeless culture and American Indian values, you will appreciate having a piece of their hand-crafted artwork as part of your interior design. To bring true Native style design to your home and create a look that is truly one of a kind, add a rustic style wooden dough bowl to compliment your home decor.
Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and author offering free information online about choosing a wooden dough bowl for beautiful western style. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com
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