Images(5)

End-blown flute

Alternate name(s)

Courting flute
Native American flute

Maker Native American Indian

Date1885-1915 ca.

Place MadeNorthern Plains, United States, North America

Serial No.none

Signednone
MarkingsText stamped on visible end of bullet casing: WRA.CO / 25-20 W.C.F.
Written in pencil on back of shaft, opposite finger holes: $5.00
Remnants of white adhesive label on front of shaft below sixth finger hole, between the fourth and fifth wire rings
DescriptionEnd-blown with external duct. Wood with bullet casing as mouthpiece; carved wood saddle and stylized bird bell. Six tone holes.

rawhide (binding thong); brass tack (adornment)
configuration: section of branch split in two, hollowed out and held together with five wire rings; gap filled with resin

mouthpiece: end of bullet casing; hammered to fit and seal gap between wood and metal; still has stamped text on casing end (The .25-20 Winchester was first developed around 1895 and made with the heading found on this example until around 1932. This bullet could have been inserted at any time.)

saddle: hand-carved wooden saddle, stylized saddle used for horseback riding; channel cut into backside of saddle to direct sound out; flattened area carved out for saddle to sit securely, with little to no air leakage

chamfer: rectangular piece of copper sheeting with smaller rectangular cut to cover upper and lower air holes, allowing only limited amount of air to pass over the air stop; beveled corners

binding thong: rawhide wrapped four times around shaft secures saddle to instrument; tied at right side of shaft

finger holes: six finger holes placed on front of shaft, on same plane as saddle, beginning 270 mm (10.63 in) from mouthpiece tip; average diameter of 10 mm; distance between holes ranges from 14.4 mm (0.57 in) to 15.8 mm (0.62 in)

wire rings: two different gauge of wires is used; first ring placed just below mouthpiece; second ring placed above saddle; third ring placed between saddle and first finger hole; fourth ring placed on lower edge of fourth finger hole; fifth ring placed above duck head effigy

adornment: end opposite mouthpiece carved as stylized duck, pronounced bill with carved nostrils, striations on sides and beveled end; raised sections above bill serve as duck head, crosshatching feather motif; brass tacks used for eyes; four holes, two on each split half) carved directly above duck head on shaft

Dimensionslength: 650 mm (25.6 in)
diameter: increasing from 31 mm (1.22 in) to 43 mm (1.7 in)
length of mouthpiece: 7.5 mm (0.3 in)
mouthpiece bore: 4.7 mm (0.19 in)
chamfer length: 67.6 mm (2.67 in)
chamfer width: 24 mm (0.95 in)
distance between finger holes: ranges from 14.4 mm (0.57 in) to 15.8 mm (0.62 in)
diameter of finger holes: 10 mm (0.4 in)
ProvenanceArne B. Larson Collection, Vermillion, South Dakota, 1979.
Published ReferencesSilva, Ana Sofia. "Digging the Fifties: A Curatorial Perspective on 50 Objects from the NMM Collections." NMM Notes (October 2023): 17-18.

Credit LineArne B. Larson Collection, 1979

Object number04050

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