End-blown flute
Vernacular Name
- Sĭyotanka
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- Courting flute
- Native American flute
Date1885-1915 ca.
Place MadePipestone, Minnesota, United States, North America
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsnone
DescriptionEnd-blown with external duct. Catlinite pipestone, including mouthpiece and saddle. Rawhide binding thong. Geometric lead inlay. Six fingerholes. Integral conical mouthpiece. Saddle carved as stylized dog.
Catlinite pipestone is named after the famed 19th-century American painter, George Catlin, who is also known for his work preserving Native American tradition and culture. The quarry from which this material was mined is located in southwestern Minnesota in a site of historical significance to the indigenous people of the area. The flute was a gift to the NMM from the Estate of Bessie Pettigrew (1881-1978), the daughter of South Dakota homesteader F. W. Pettigrew (1850-1901) and niece of United States Senator Richard F. Pettigrew (1848-1926).
Dimensionsoverall length: 503 mm (19.8 in)
width: 27 mm (1.06 in)
length of mouthpiece: 15 mm (0.6 in)
mouthpiece bore: 7 mm (0.28 in)
length of exposed air hole: 18 mm (0.71 in)
width of exposed air hole: 8 mm (0.32 in)
shaft diameter (below air stop): 16.4 mm (0.65 in)
ProvenanceGift of the Pettigrew Estate by Mrs. Robert Loehe, Flandreau, SD, 1979.
Credit LineGift of Bessie Pettigrew Estate, 1979
Object number02583
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