The gourd has been carved and cast in China for well over a thousand years, mostly as a vessel — for medicine, for wine, for water carried on a journey. Its silhouette became a decorative motif in its own right, and in metalwork it is usually hung rather than placed, so the shape reads in profile.
This piece is sand-cast brass with a hand-applied patina, which means no two are identical: some carry darker streaks where the mould cooled unevenly. Solid brass, not plated steel. Weighs 230 g, so pick your hook accordingly.