Gourds were grown for containers before they were ever cast in metal: dried, hollowed, used for water, wine and medicine. The metal version keeps the shape and adds weight, which is why it is used as a standing object rather than a hanging one at this size.
This is a two-part piece — the gourd is cast as a single form and then fitted to a separate circular base, which is the reason it stands straight. The whole thing is polished and then selectively darkened at the waist so the form reads from across a room. Felt under the base.