Pottery Flute
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
clay
Dimensions
L. 170 mm.; W. 127 mm.; Thickness (greatest) 39 mm.; Wt. 39 mm.
Classification
Aerophone-Whistle Flute-recorder
Culture
Mexican
Department
Musical Instruments
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
Accession Number
89.4.643
Art Historical Context
This charming **Pottery Flute**, by an unknown Mexican artist in the 19th century, exemplifies the ingenuity of vernacular music-making in everyday materials. Fashioned from clay, it measures 170 mm in length, 127 mm width, and up to 39 mm thick, with a lightweight 39 g form that suggests portability for communal gatherings or personal play. Classified as an aerophone— a whistle flute or recorder instrument produces sound through air vibration across an embouchure hole, blending pottery craftsmanship with acoustic design. In Mexican culture, clay instruments like this one highlight a deep-roo...