Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A bichrome pottery double flute decorated with a vernacular house form at one end, this trapezoidal entity adorned with two bands of applied clay filets arranged in "X" forms on each face. In addition, horizontal red striations decorate the upper and lower sections of the conjoined flutes. Custom stand. Size: 10.25" L x 3.125" W (26 cm x 7.9 cm); 10.875" H (27.6 cm) on stand

A musical instrument with eight finger holes on the body, a pair of blow holes on the house-shaped mouthpiece, two lateral finger or suspension holes on sides of the 'house' and a single suspension hole between one pair of fingerholes. A remarkable example of both visual and musical culture. Such ancient musical instruments are surprisingly sophisticated in their tonal qualities according to various experts in the field. Though once dismissed as mere toys, they were actually deemed vital to various traditions of the Pre-Columbian world. To quote scholar Dale Olsen of Florida State University school of music who has studied ancient Peruvian musical instruments extensively, "Music is a measure of cultural complexity. It adds another layer of knowledge about their social intricacies and achievements." (http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/29/science/complex-whistles-found-to-play-key-roles-in-inca-and-maya-life.html?pagewanted=all)

Provenance: Ex - Private W. S. collection, Los Angeles, Ca

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#114919

  • Condition: Body repaired from two pieces. One corner of house mouthpiece has been reattached. Tiny losses to peripheries and small loss near one finger hole on side of house. General surface wear and slip loss commensurate with age. Areas of manganese deposits.

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January 19, 2017 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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