1972.019 by Meso & Central American Sound Library Project

This tubular flute features a constricted exit pipe and an external airduct with a shrinking internal appendage. Its resonator has been drilled with three finger holes, one of which is protuberant (FP#3). The distal outlet of the constricted exit tube can be used as a fourth finger hole.

A seated anthropomorphic figure with bird features and oversized/bulging eyes leaning against a backrest adorns this unprovenienced Santa Clara ceramic-type aerophone. It was manufactured in the Atlantic Watershed archaeological region of Central Costa Rica during the late El Bosque A (AD 100-300) or early El Bosque B (AD 300-500) phase and probably looted/retrieved there.

This sonic artifact is currently held in Brussels's Musical Instruments Museum storerooms. The MIM purchased it from Russian (naturalized Belgian in 1938) art dealer Edgar Beer in 1972.

Overall dimensions (depth x height x width): 17.39 x 6.53 x 3.22 (cm).

Please click on the track names for additional pictures of the original instrument and a 3D rendering from a μCT (track #2).

Tracklist

1.	El Bosque (AD 100-500) Phase Santa Clara ceramic type tubular flute with a constricted exit tube, an external airduct, and a protuberant finger hole (FP#3) from Atlantic Watershed Central Region (Costa Rica) - solo improvisation	0:33

2.	El Bosque (AD 100-500) Phase Santa Clara-type tubular flute with a constricted exit tube, an external airduct, and a protuberant finger hole (FP#3) from Atlantic Watershed Central Region (Costa Rica) – trio improvisation with a PLA replica + ocarina #1986.011-02 (w/ overdubs/edits)	2:32

Credits

released June 4, 2024

Sonic artifact experimentally played & recorded by J-F Brohée using a pair of Neumann KM183 & a Universal Audio 710 Twin-Finity preamplifier. © KMKG-MRAH.

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