412.141.22 Stopped single notch flute with fingerholes

Wooden whistle.

This instrument was collected in Nigeria by Mercedes Mackay, who wrote about it in article published in 1950: 'The whistle flute of the Ibo is…complicated in design It can be carved in wood or moulded in clay, and although some varieties are seven inches long, others are almost circular in shape. The player blows through an open flu, and the sound is made by the fingers stopping the hole in the side of the instrument. There are no other stops, but an astonishing variety of pitch can be achieved by the movements of the fingers over the side hole This flute plays a big part in Ibo music and is heard a great deal during road building and tree felling.'

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
M15.6.55/33
Date
1925-1950
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 185 x 37 x 24 mm
CATEGORY
Musical Instruments
LOCATION
Music Gallery > Side C - The Ideal Sound > Case C3 - Trading Sounds
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring musical instruments

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk