FICO D'INDIA - PAINTED NATURAL

DETAILS

• Height 5cm

• Width 9cm

• Weight 5oz

• Materials: Gypsum, acrylic 

• Plinth Cube / Plinth Star: H 4.5cm / Gypsum

Cactus fruit, known also as the prickly pear, are native to the Americas, but have since spread around the world to Egypt, Morocco, Europe, and the Middle East. The fruit is said to taste like a combination of bubblegum and watermelon, and besides being a popular hangover cure, is most frequently made into candy, jam and beverages, or eaten raw. The Native Americans used prickly pears to make a crimson colored alcoholic drink called colonche, and certain varieties of the cactus possess psychotropic components, including mescaline, making the cactus fruit useful for creating ayahuasca.

The primary reason for the cactus fruit’s global proliferation is a vibrant red dye made from the cochineal beetle that survives only on the pads of this cactus. 17^th century Spanish colonizers fought hard to keep the precious secret of the dye’s production, but a French botanist revealed the source in 1777. The dye was used to color the ill-advised red coats of the British Army and thus created big business for exporters and a frenzy to find a more local match for the growing conditions of Central America. The Canary Islands flourished for many years on the cochineal dye industry, while Australia (a British colony at the time) was less successful as the invasive cactus wreaked havoc on over 58 million acres of farmland.

But the cactus fruit, an obvious symbol of hope and endurance in harsh conditions, still brings a sense of pride to the people of its provenance. A prickly pear found on the Mexican coat of arms is said to symbolize the hard times and difficulties that have passed and will also come. And Texans have declared the prickly pear cactus as the official plant of Texas in a resolution stating: “its unusual status as both a vegetable and a fruit make it singularly qualified to represent the indomitable and unique Texas spirit”.

Please note each item is made by hand, slight variations are part of the process making each item unique