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Clay flute

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Ocarina (globular flute). Length 10 cm. Light-coloured body, mouthpiece painted red, polished, otherwise remains of engobe. Late Postclassic (ca. 1350-5121 AD). Origin High Valley of Mexico. Uhde Collection. The instrument has a short slit-shaped aeroduct, a square cutaway and a globular resonance body with a finger hole and a suspension device. The symbolism of the applied elements is unclear. The band wrapped around the resonating body could represent a cord, a snake or the arms and tail of a monkey, while the slightly curved extension has been interpreted as a bird's tail. It is possibly a "pigeon flute" (huilacapitztli). (Adje Both, 2004)

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
musical instruments
Dimensions
Height: 4,8 cm
Depth: 4,8 cm
Width: 9,3 cm
Material/Technique
Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 2625 e
Related object(s)

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    Late Classical
    where
    Mexico
  • Collecting
    who
    Carl Adolf Uhde (1792-02-02 - 1856-11-17) - Collectors
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

Related objects

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