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Flute

A work made of wood and leather.

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  • A work made of wood and leather.

Date:

Probably early/mid–20th century

Artist:

Nuna
Burkina Faso
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

Flutes are one of the most common musical instruments in Burkina Faso and accompany many ceremonies, including masked performances. To play this flute a musician holds a finger over the holes at the ends of the arms and blows across the hole at the top. The slender forms and the grains of the wood used make flutes like this extremely fragile, and they often have to be repaired, as was done here, by wrapping hide around vulnerable areas. Flutes are carved as pierced tubes with holes burned with hot pokers through the arms to the hollow center, allowing the musician to change the pitch of sound. Flutes are widely traded in the region and are often passed from one generation to the next. The dark patina on this flute suggests an intensive period of use.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Nuna

Title

Flute

Place

Burkina Faso (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1901–1975

Medium

Wood and leather

Dimensions

Approx.: H.: 35.6 cm (14 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection

Reference Number

2006.119

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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