JSA Judging

Jim Story Award: Judging Criteria

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JUDGING CRITERIA

JUDGING CRITERIA EXPLAINED

Cleanliness: Defined as made clean.All visible exterior skin and dirt should be removed from the gourd from the tip of the stem (if present) to the blossom end; including the inside surface of tight knots, spirals, coils, curves and bends. You should not be able to see any skin or dirt remaining on the gourd.
Cultural Perfection: “Free of blemishes or damage.”
Manipulation: “To manage or control artfully.”
- Innovation: New idea or Method
- Uniqueness: Rare, Unusual
- Green Cleaned (see below)

Degree of Difficulty: How hard was it to do?
- Amount of effort required
- Homemade mold or purchased mold
- Number and tightness of coils
- Two knots straightened out above the other in the neck is more difficult than 2 knots not in alignment
- Type of knot: single overhand knot (easiest), Square and figure-eight knots more difficult
- Etching that left a visible pattern after drying and cleaning; attractiveness of design
Green Cleaning Scraping the outer skin off the gourd while it was still green is intentionally separate from cleanliness. Jim Story green-cleaned most of his gourds -- but that is difficult to do without the risk of the gourd drying too fast, shrinking and cracking. BE CAREFUL! (But Jim would want you to try). - See Green Cleaning article on JSA main page

John Martin (Ohio) 2019 entry

Manipulating Gourds