When Art Shares Nature's Gift: The African Calabash is a specialised publication that examines the calabash as a natural object and as a carrier of artistic, social and symbolic meaning in various African cultures. Esther A. Dagan analyses how artists and craftspeople utilise the natural form of the calabash and transform it into functional and aesthetic objects. The publication combines art-historical reflection with ethnographic context and ties in with broader discussions about the use of materials and design. Esther A. Dagan is an art historian and curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specialising in African and non-Western art forms. Her work focuses on the relationship between natural materials and artistic expression within museum collections. With this publication, she makes an in-depth contribution to the understanding of material culture in Africa.